


Seasons of Love

by chanelmaximoff



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Rent (2005), Rent - Larson, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1980s, Alternate Universe - 1990s, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Bottom James Rhodes, Brooklyn, Character Death, Drag Queens, Drugs, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friendship/Love, Gay Sex, HIV/AIDS, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt Tony Stark, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Lesbian Sex, Love, Love at First Sight, M/M, References to Depression, References to Drugs, Rent References, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Top Steve Rogers, Top Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-06-25 07:27:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15636039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanelmaximoff/pseuds/chanelmaximoff
Summary: Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes, James Rhodes, Carol Danvers, Valkyrie Parrington, Natasha Romanoff, and T'Challa Udaku find themselves in The East Village of New York City in the 90's.Sex, drugs, nightlife, money trouble, love, and life under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic. AU loosely based off of the musical & 2005 film RENT.





	1. Light My Candle

**_East Village. New York City. December 24th, 1989._ **

 

“From here on in, I shoot without a script. See if anything comes of it. Instead of my old shit”, Sam said directly into the camera.

The lights of the city were in full effect. The neon signs glowing, a nice contrast to the pitch-black sky.

Sam had been out for hours, filming anything, and everything.

“Would you like a wash, sir?” A homeless man carrying a window wiper said as he approached the beautiful black car stopped at a red light.

“Naw, Get out of here! Hey! I said get off the fucking window!” The expensive-looking man inside the vehicle said, before driving off in a frantic frenzy.

Sam managed to capture the entire interaction, before turning off his camera, hoping on his bike, and making the 10-block trip back to his apartment.

He couldn’t help but notice all of the eviction notices plastered on the buildings around each street he passed.

Coincidentally, there had been one taped to the door of his own apartment. He read it, and laughed to himself.

Upon sliding the door open, the lights went out.

A voice sighed out in frustration from the living room. It was Steve. He’d been strumming some chords on his guitar and staring out at the city before the interruption. 

He got up from the couch to check the breaker panel. It was no accident. The lights had been cut from the landlord’s office. 

“Just absolutely fucking perfect”, Steve huffed out. “On Christmas Eve, no less.” 

“Consider it an early Christmas gift”, Sam joked. “Here”, he said, walking up to Steve to show him the eviction notice. “ _This_ one’s mine.”  

“Is he fucking serious? He’s not even going to talk to us first? He’s just going to plaster this to the door and what? Scare us into all of a sudden paying rent? I don’t even have enough money to go out and get a coffee.” Steve grew more frustrated by the minute.

“I have no idea”, Sam replied, taking a seat across from Steve. Just then, the phone rang.

“Hello?” Sam answered.

“Hey! Guess who’s back in town. It’s Tony, man. Throw down the keys!” Tony replied, before hanging up.

Sam put the phone back on the receiver, and stepped out onto the fire escape to throw his keys down to Tony, before walking back inside. It was cold enough in the apartment without heat, he couldn’t stand actually being outside a minute more.

As Tony bent down to pick up the keys that had missed his hands, a man approached him.

“Hey, you got a light man?” He said, cigarette in hand. 

“Yeah, sure”, Tony said, fishing into his backpack for his lighter.

Just then, he heard another man approaching him from the back. When he turned to look, the man with the cigarette pounced on him, before a third man walked up with a baseball bat.

He managed to escape their hold on him, and ran. 

He didn’t make it far enough before he tripped, and fell over, the men right on his tail **.**

They picked Tony up by great force, and the man with the baseball bat took a swing to Tony’s stomach, and face, blood spewing out instantly **.**

They took his backpack, wallet, lighter, and the jacket off his body.

Tony lay there, screaming out in agony.

 

* * *

 

Back at the apartment, Steve and Sam looked for spare paper lying around to make a fire in their garbage can.

“Desperate times”, Steve had said, before tearing off a poster from the wall with his own face on it. It was an advertisement for a show he did at a local bar some time ago. He lit it on fire, and tossed it in.

“Where the hell is Tony?” Sam asked, worriedly.

Just then, the two men heard chanting from outside. 

“We’re not paying rent! We’re not paying rent! We’re not paying rent!” 

T’Challa’s town car pulled up outside. 

He stepped outside of it, and watched all of the tenants from both buildings he owned as they burned their eviction notices, and threw them in his direction.

Sam and Steve stepped out into the fire escape and joined the chant **.** Just then, Steve went inside to retrieve the burning garbage can. 

“Hey! That’s our only source of heat!” Sam said.

“Yeah, but it’s what he deserves”, Steve replied, before tossing out the burning remnants from the large can.

T’Challa stepped back into his vehicle, waiting out the chaos. Several minutes later, police cars drove down the road to break it all up.

As the people swarmed back into their respective apartments, T’Challa finally came back out of his car. 

“Get your asses down here”, he called out to Sam and Steve, who were still staring at him from the fire escape.

As Sam moved to leave, Steve caught the eye of a beautiful man about two floors below. He was also still out on the fire escape, finishing up a cigarette. He looked up at Steve, smiled, and winked. Steve just stared, and walked back inside.

T’Challa looked at his surroundings in disgust, attempting to put out one of the lasting flames on the concrete beside his vehicle. He noticed someone leaning against the car.  

“Hey, bum. Get your ass off my Range Rover.” 

The homeless man walked away, as Steve and Sam approached the scene.

“T’Challa, that attitude towards the homeless is exactly what Carol is protesting”, Sam said to him.

“Carol’s protesting losing her performance space. Not my attitude”, T’Challa replied **.**

Sam pulled his camera out of his backpack, and began filming.

“Close up: T’Challa Udaku. Our ex-roommate who married Ororo Munroe of the Westport Munroe’s. He and his father **-** in-law bought several buildings on the block, and a nearby vacant lot, home to a tent City. T’Challa hopes to evict all of the homeless from said tent City, even though it's all they have, just to build a cyber studio.” 

T’Challa laughed, and simply ignored Sam.

“Steve. You’re looking good for a guy who’s coming off a year of withdrawal”, he said, smugly.

 “What the fuck do you want, T’Challa?” 

“What do I want?” T’Challa began to reply. “Well, my investor-” Sam cut him.

“You mean your father-in-law?”

T’Challa rolled his eyes. “Whatever... He read about Carol’s performance in the paper, got extremely pissed, and he sent me down here to collect the rent”, he finished, before ripping off a poster from the buildings wall of Carol’s upcoming protest performance. “Save Our Homes”, it said, with a picture of her in the middle. 

Sam and Steve groaned. 

“What rent!?” Sam asked.

“This past year’s rent that I let slide.” 

“‘Let slide'? You said we were golden? When you bought the building? When we were roommates? Remember, you _lived_ here?” Steve added.

“Yeah, yeah. How could I forget? You guys, me, Tony, and Carol... How _is_ the drama queen?” He asked, before opening up the crumpled flyer in his hand, and staring at the picture of her in the center of it. 

“She’s getting ready for her performance”, Sam replied **.**  

“Are you still her production manager, Sam?” T’Challa hadn’t spoken to them in a while. And while things weren’t currently peachy keen between them all, he was still curious about what was going on in their lives. 

“Not exactly... She dumped me”, Sam said, eager to finish the conversation.

T’Challa laughed to himself. “She got a new man?”

“Well... No.”

T’Challa walked closer to them. “What’s his name?”

Steve and Sam shared a look, before they both answered together. “Valkyrie.”

T’Challa stared at them for a second before he burst out in laughter. 

“Thanks for being so understanding”, Sam said.

“You expect sympathy from the son of a bitch who cut off our power on Christmas Eve!?” Steve reminded him coldly.

T’Challa finished his fit of laughter. “It got your attention, didn’t it?” 

“Look, can I just ask what happened? What changed? You weren’t always this cruel. Two short years ago, you were us. Living the borderline poor and homeless life. And now you’re washing everyone out of the buildings?” Steve asked him.

“Steve, any owner of the lot has the right to do with it as he pleases. Speaking of which, the rent?” T’Challa looked at them both hard.

“You’re wasting your time”, Steve said. 

“We’re both broke...” Sam said. “But even if we weren’t, we had a deal. This is absurd.”

T’Challa looked down at the ground, before looking back up at the them smiling smugly. “There is _one_ thing you can do to keep our deal.” 

They stared at him curiously. He kept on **.**  

“The building across from yours? That’s going to be CyberArts. A state-of-the-art, digital, virtual interactive studio. You’ll see boys, it’s going to be great.”

“Not to be rude, but you were saying?” Sam said. 

“I’ll forego your rent, and, on paper, guarantee that you can stay here for free if you do me one small favor”, T’Challa replied.  

“And what would that be?”, Steve asked, suspiciously.

“Convince Carol to cancel her protest.” 

“Why not just get an injunction? Or call the cops?” Sam asked.

“I already did. They’re going to be on standby, but my investors would rather I handle this quietly.

“T’Challa **,** you can’t _quietly_ wipe out an entire tent city, and then return to your mansion and watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ on T.V.!” Steve said angrily.

“You want to produce films, write songs, and paint portraits? You need somewhere to do it. I’m not opening this studio for nothing. I’m opening it because it’s what we used to talk about. A place where we could work, and get payed to do it! Just stop the protest, and in a couple of weeks, we will _all_ have it made”, T’Challa said, before taking a pause.

“So, you can either do _that_ , or you can pack up and hit the streets”, he finished before getting into his vehicle and taking off, shooting them both a smile. They watched him speed off in disgust.

 

* * *

 

A couple blocks away, a man drummed at an empty bucket with a pair of drumsticks, keeping a steady, catchy beat. A couple walked up to him, and tossed a couple of quarters into his hat. He smiled at them.

“Merry Christmas!” He said before he continued to drum. 

He didn’t keep at it for long. The sounds of coughing interrupted him. He packed his things up, and went to investigate **.**

“Hello?” He called out as he walked into the nearby alley.

As he got further in, he spotted a man, hunched over, coughing, shaking, and blood dripping out of every hole in his face.

“Oh my god, are you okay, honey?” He asked the bleeding man.

 “I’m afraid so”, he replied **.**

The drummer realized he’d been mugged. “Did they get anything?” He asked.

The beaten man spat out some more blood. “I didn’t have any money, but they took my wallet... and my backpack... and my jacket.”

The drummer pulled out a cloth from his back pocket, to which the bleeding man refused. 

“I’m fine, really. No need for that.”

The drummer watched him, and rested his hand on top of the other man’s. “I’m Rhodey.”

“Rhodey”, the other man repeated. “I’m Tony.”

Rhodey smiled at him, before offering his hand out to him. “Come on, let’s go get you cleaned up **.** Please.”

Tony smiled up at, and agreed.

They walked, slowly, as Tony was still very much in pain. 

“I sort of have to hurry, I have a life support meeting to get to”, Rhodey said.

“Life support?”, Tony asked.

“Yeah”, Rhodey replied. “It’s for people with AIDS. People like me.”

Tony looked him in the eyes. “Me too.” 

 

* * *

 

Steve plucked at his guitar some more, as Sam lit a bunch of candles and placed them all over the apartment.

He then proceeded to bundle himself to protect himself against the cold about to hit him before walking up to Steve slowly. 

“I was going to go try to find Tony. You want to come? I thought maybe we could all grab some dinner?”

Steve scoffed at him. “Zoom in on my empty wallet.”

Sam grinned. “Touché”. He put on his hat, and came to a halt at the door before saying one last thing to Steve: “Take your AZT.”

Steve rolled his eyes, and suddenly he was alone. He stared out the window from the couch again, and strummed his guitar some more.

 _“_ I’m writing one great song before I _...”_ he sang, before he began to play the same chord progression that’s been stuck in his head for a while. He didn’t have lyrics to it, just the same light, melancholy melody.

He stopped, and went up to the roof to reflect on everything. Where he was at now, where he was at a year ago. 

A year ago, at age 22, Steve Rogers had the world at his feet **.** He was the leader singer of a pretty popular local band, and he was healthy.

At one of his shows, he locked eyes with a pretty young woman who was sitting across the bar. Her name was Peggy Carter. He ended up approaching her before leaving that night, and they talked until the sun came up. 

From that point on, Peggy was his muse. He’d written song after song about her, done painting after painting with her as his model. She was happy. He was happy. And that happiness lasted for a while. But then things got ugly.

Peggy began to use and abuse drugs. Cocaine, Meth, you name it.

Steve tried his hardest to convince her to stop, for months. She insisted things were fine. She even suggested he try some. And Steve could’ve walked away, he could’ve. But he didn’t. Because he loved Peggy too much to do that. 

Steve was with her the day she got the confirmation that she was HIV positive. He’d consoled her. For a whole day, they lay in bed, crying, Steve reiterating that he loved her. When he went out to get some dinner, he’d returned to find her in the bathtub, lifeless, in a pool of bloody water. She’d taken her life before the virus could.

That broke Steve. He didn’t even react when his doctor told him that he too was living with AIDS. He couldn’t. Because he was broken.

So now here he was. A year later. Sober. Still grieving Peggy. Still somewhat broken, but doing better.

Steve accepted his fate. He knew he was going to die, and he was prepared for it. He took the AZT as a preventative measure, but he knew it probably wouldn’t be long now. 

Which is why he wanted to write one last great song. Maybe he’d finish it, hunt down his former band mates and have them perform it in his honor, maybe he’d just leave it to Sam, his best friend that has been by his side all these years. Or maybe no one else would ever get to hear it. He just wanted to finish it, to leave one last piece of him to the world.

Wiping away tears that crept up into his eyes, he went back down to his apartment to sleep. 

Right after he’d entered, there was a knock at the door. He rolled his eyes.

“What’d you forget, Sam?”

He opened it. It was the man from before. The one whom he locked eyes with outside. The one from two floors below.

“Got a light?” He asked, holding up a candle. His beautiful long brown hair blowing slightly as the cold air moved around the room.

“Hey, I know you, you’re-” Steve began, though was interrupted when he noticed the man was shivering. “You’re shivering”, he said bluntly.

“It’s nothing. They turned off my heat, and I’m just feeling a little weak. Would you mind lighting my candle?” The man asked, inviting himself into the apartment, creeping towards the window. 

Steve just stared at him. This guy's face was mesmerizing.

“What are you staring at?”

Steve straightened up. “Oh, nothing. Your hair in the moonli- You know, you look really familiar.” He’d stopped himself from looking like a complete ass, though he’s sure the man picked up on that.

Steve grabbed the matches from the table, and walked over, lighting his candle. The heat that radiated off of the flame reached the man, and he looked like he was about to faint. Steve caught him. “Are you alright?” 

The man smiled. “Yeah, I just haven’t eaten much today. At least the room stopped spinning.” He caught Steve’s eyes on him again. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just… Your smile reminded me-” Steve began.

“I always remind people of their _special someone’s_ … Who is he?” The man interrupted, rolling his eyes.

“ _She_ died. Her name was April”, Steve said, looking to the floor, as the memories flooded his mind.

The man turned around, blowing the flame out, though thankfully, Steve hadn’t noticed.

“It’s out again”, he said, showing Steve the unlit candle. “I’m sorry about your friend. Do you mind re-lighting it?”

Steve grabbed the matches yet again, and lit it.

This time, their hands touched as they’d both wrapped them around the candle.

“Ow!” The man snapped.

“Oh, shit, the wax, it’s-” Again, Steve began, but didn’t get to finish.

“Dripping, and hot as fuck. But I like it. I like it even more between my-” The man began, flirting in full effect, but this time, _Steve_ interrupted _him._  

“Fingers? I figured”, he said, laughing awkwardly. “Anyways, have a goodnight.” He gestured towards the door. 

The man smiled at Steve, then began to walk away, blowing out the candle. He reached for his back pocket, and came to a halt.

“Did it go out again?” Steve asked him.

He turned, looking to the floor. “Yeah, but I think that I dropped my stash.”

Steve stared some more. He knew this guy didn’t look familiar just because he was his neighbour. He’d known him from someplace else. “I know I’ve seen you out and about, back when I used to go out…” 

The man grew frustrated. “Ugh, I had it when I walked in. Is it on the floor, over there by the window?” He knelt down to search.

He felt Steve’s eyes on him yet again. Only this time, the man knew his eyes were on another part of his body.

“Y’know, people I know often say that I have the best ass in the neighbourhood. Is it true?” He said, turning his head to look Steve straight in the eyes.

Steve met his eyes. “What?”

The man laughed. “You’re staring again...” and straightened himself up on his knees.

Steve’s eyes went up to the ceiling, as the temperature in the room suddenly turned into that of an oven. Or maybe that was just the heat of the embarrassment he was feeling hitting him.

“Oh, no, I mean, I guess, yes, you do have a nice-” Steve stopped himself. “I mean, you look familiar!”

“Like your dead girlfriend?” The man asked, a tad insulted, though he didn’t let it ruin his mood.

Steve laughed. “Look, it’s only when you smile. But, I’m _sure_ I’ve seen you somewhere else.”

The man took a breath. “Do you go to the Pit Crew Club? That’s where I work. I’m a dancer.”

Steve took a sigh of relief. “I knew it, yes! They used to tie you up onstage, didn’t they? I almost didn’t recognize you without the handcuffs.”  

He laughed. “Look, I won’t be able to find anything in the dark **.** Do you mind lighting my candle again?”

Steve got down to his knees to match the man’s height, and crawled toward him **,** lighting the candle.

Steve looked him in the eye. “Why don’t you forget the drugs? You look like you’re 18.”

He looked offended, and soon quickly corrected Steve. “Hey, I’m 20! But, I’m pretty old for my age. Wise, street smart. I don’t know, I guess I was born to be pretty bad. I’ve been doing just fine. 

Steve looked down to the floor. “I used to feel the same way. I also used to shiver and sweat exactly the way you’re shivering and sweating right now.” 

The man was still searching for his drugs, but quickly replied to Steve’s accusation, laughing. “I’ve got a cold, _and_ have no heat, I told you!”

Steve crossed his arms, and leaned up against the wall “Uh-huh, I also used to be a junkie.”

He didn’t answer for a good minute. 

“I like to feel good, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Steve just nodded, knowingly. He then looked to the floor, thinking he’d found the man’s stash. “Oh here! Oh, no, never mind, candy bar wrapper.” He stuffed the _wrapper_ into his back pocket. 

The man stood up, and walked toward Steve slowly, attempting to peek at what exactly Steve had stuck into his pants. Steve, backing away, blew out the candle. The man then gently pushed Steve down onto the couch, and sat directly beside him on the arm. He was sitting so close, he might as well have just straddled Steve’s lap. 

“That was my last match”, Steve said, suddenly very nervous at their physical contact.

The man sighed, then scooted closer. “Our eyes will adjust. Thank god for the moon”, he said, looking out the window.

Steve turned to look out the window as well. The man then suddenly grabbed his hand, looking at his fingers **.** “Cold hands”, was all Steve could muster.

The man smiled. “Yours too. They’re big, kind of like my fathers.”

The two then decided to close the gap between them and both leaned in for a kiss. The man then jumped up, and pulled Steve off the couch. “Do you want to dance?”

Steve looked at him curiously. “With you?”

He snorted. “No, with my father”, he said, sarcasm at a heightened level.

Steve laughed with him. “Hey, I’m Steve, by the way.”

The man smiled, and leaned into Steve’s ear. “They call me Bucky”, he said, twisting his arm around Steve to reach into his back pocket **,** and pull out his stash. He then strutted out of the apartment, leaving Steve slightly confused, and a little turned on.


	2. No Day But Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Sam are introduced to Tony's new boyfriend, Rhodey; Sam meets Valkyrie for the first time; Steve receives a visit one night from a special someone; Steve leaves the house for the first time in a long time. Tons more angst, and fluff with our favorite bohemians.

**_December 25th, 1989._ **

The sun crept in through the small slits in Steve’s curtains. He woke up feeling hungover, though he couldn’t have been. He didn’t drink last night. He’d gone straight to sleep after Bucky left the apartment. Did he have a couple of NSFW thoughts about Bucky before actually falling asleep? Maybe, but that was irrelevant.

He threw on his favorite black hoodie before leaving his room. It never mattered how cold the apartment was, Steve always slept shirtless. Otherwise, he couldn’t sleep. He took a look at himself in the mirror, and cringed. He looked like shit, but that had been his default look for more than a year, so he wasn’t surprised.

He stepped out of his bedroom, and saw Sam eating a bowl of corn flakes.

“Good morning, Steve, you look nice”, Sam greeted. Was it sarcasm? Most likely, but Steve was too tired to bicker.

“Hey, man”, he replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Just then, the phone rang and the lights that hadn’t been properly turned off the night before came back on. Steve was now wide awake.

“We got power!”

Sam smiled, and replied. “Well, look at that. Also, hey, merry Christmas.”

Steve lifted his mug in a ‘cheers’ motion, and took a sip, as Sam went to answer the phone, before turning around and making a B-line back to his bowl of cereal.

Steve looked at him in confusion, just as the phone’s voicemail message began. It was Steve and Sam’s voices, in unison and in a lower octave than normal, saying “speak”. They’d been high when they did it.

Steve then understood why Sam ignored the call. It was Mr. and Mrs. Wilson.

“Sam, are you there? Are you screening your calls? It’s mom. Hi, I just wanted to call and say we love you. We’ll miss you today. Your sister and the kids are here. They send their love. And, oh yeah, I hope you like the hot plate. Just don’t leave it on when you leave the house”, Mrs. Wilson spoke to the machine, just as Mr. Wilson grabbed the phone from her, and began to offer his two cents.

“Look, Sam, I’m sorry to hear that Carol dumped you! I say ‘c’est la vie!’ Let her be a lesbian! She doesn’t know what she’s missing... Oh, and happy holidays.”

“End of message”, the phone spoke out.

Steve laughed, as Sam hid his face in his hands in embarrassment.

“You know, there are times when we’re dirt broke, and hungry, and freezing. And, I ask myself ‘why the hell am I still living here?’... and then they call. And then I remember”, Sam said, overly annoyed.

Steve couldn’t help but keep laughing. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had always been pieces of work, always harassing Sam, and intruding on his life. They also weren’t the kindest people. The first chance he got, Sam packed up, and left. Well, actually he’d left to attend NYU, but still. It was the best decision he’d ever made, and Steve was sure grateful Sam made it. They’d been best friends since the day they met, the first day of classes freshmen year.

Steve looked up from his coffee and noticed something written on the frosted living room window. He got up from his seat to get a closer look. “Xmas brunch. Just us? - Bucky” with an arrow pointing down to his apartment.

Sam followed out of curiosity. “What’s that?”

Steve just stared at the message. “The guy from downstairs”, he replied.

Sam’s face grew mischievous. “Oh, the dancer from the Pit Crew Club? Nice”, he said. “Well you are going to go, right?”

Steve pondered the idea for a minute, but then realized it was stupid. “No, no.”

“Oh, come on, Steve!” Sam began, but couldn’t finish, as the front door sliding open interrupted him.

“Merry Christmas, bitches!” Tony greeted, looking way better than he had a short twelve hours ago.

Steve and Sam both looked extremely relieved.

“Tony!” Sam screamed, running up to him to greet him with a tight hug.

Tony recoiled in pain. “Ow, ow, fuck!”

“Are you alright?” Sam asked him, worriedly.

“I’ve never been better!” Tony replied, giving Sam his best fake smile. “Here, your keys”, he then said, dropping them onto the coffee table.

Sam laughed. “Yeah, twelve hours later, what the hell happened to you?”

Tony smiled. “Nah, don’t worry about me”, he said, walking to the kitchen to retrieve red solo cups, passing Steve in the process.

“Um, hi”, Steve mumbled.

Tony laughed, then mocked him. “‘Um, hi.’ After seven months?!” He added, and then hugged Steve as comfortably as he physically could.

“You know what you need?” Tony continued, reaching into the bucket of items he’d brought inside. “This boy could use some Stoli!” Tony pulled out a bottle of vodka, and handed the bucket to Sam.

Sam took it upon himself to go through the remaining remnants in the bucket, and to his joy, pulled out a small turkey, (but big enough to feed them all), cheese, carrots, potatoes, and some biscuits. He showed the items to Steve, who looked at them in pure delight.

“This is a complete Christmas feast, thank you!” Sam said.

“You struck gold at MIT!” Steve said, enthusiastically.

“No”, Tony said, bitterly, ready to spill the beans on what had happened. “They fired me. It’s a long story, not important. So, anyways, because of that, I came back home.” He poured the three of them a drink of the stoli, and lifted his cup in a cheer, the other two following his lead.

“Merry Christmas”, Tony said.

“Welcome home”, Steve replied.

“It’s not all bad though. I’m also here because I got a teaching gig at NYU”, Tony said, after downing his drink.

Sam laughed. “Oh, so that’s how you can afford to splurge on us.”

Tony flashed a huge smile. “Actually, no.”

He took off his sweater, and straightened himself up, before standing tall, and formally addressing the room:

“Gentleman, our benefactor on this Christmas Day, who’s charity is only matched by talent, I must say. A new member of the East Village we all love and know, James ‘Rhode Island’ Rhodes”, he finished, sliding the door open.

Rhodey walked in in full Christmas-inspired drag, twirling into the center of the room.

“Today for you. Tomorrow for me”, Rhodey said, handing both Steve and Sam a handful of cash consisting of 250$ each.

“And he’s quite the drummer, you should hear his beats”, Tony said, referring to Rhodey’s drumming skills. He looked proud at the beautiful sight in front of him.

“You earned this on the street?!” Sam asked, in shock at the cash that was in his hands.

Rhodey laughed. “It’s a long story”, he said, walking up to the now empty bucket sitting on the coffee table, and flipping it upside down, drumming up a beat onto it.

“It all started when a lady in a limousine drove my way. She started complaining that she hadn’t been able to sleep for months, because her neighbors yappy dog would not stop barking.”

The men chuckled. Rhodey continued.

“She said ‘their akita, Evita, just won’t shut up!’ So, we agreed on a fee, a thousand-dollar guarantee, and came up with a plan, one where we both came out winning.”

Rhodey walked to the kitchen, got up on the table, and began a new beat on the pipes on the ceiling, Tony, Steve, and Sam clapping along.

“And?” Sam asked, curious to find out the next piece of the story.

“Not my proudest moment, but, between us? I’m sure that dog is now in doggy hell”, Rhodey said, taking a seat on the coffee table.

“You mean you…” Steve began, and waited for Rhodey to finish the sentence for him.

Rhodey laughed. “I didn’t kill her. The lady let me into her apartment, where I drummed for hours on end. And little Evita? She ended up jumping out of the window of her own apartment. But anything could’ve caused it. Such a shame, really.”

Sam and Steve stared in disbelief, before Steve bursted out in a laugh, as Rhodey continued on.

“Anyways, cut to last night, where I found this one lying in an alley, moaning, and groaning, almost lifeless”, he said, gesturing towards Tony. “I took him back to my place, fixed him back up, and now he’s as good as new!”

The men shot Tony worried looks, and he assured them it wasn’t a big deal. The two Ibuprofen’s and a good night’s sleep really did help him.

“Well, thanks for fixing him up for us, and nice to meet you, Rhode Island”, Sam said enthusiastically.

Rhodey winked in reply. “Call me Rhodey, please.”

“Well, Rhodey, at the risk of sounding offensive, what do we refer to you as?” Steve asked, nervously. Rhodey was evidently a drag queen, that much he knew. But he didn’t want to assume their pronouns.

Rhodey let out a laugh, somewhat touched that Steve actually asked. “Some drag queens prefer ‘she’. Personally, I prefer ‘he’, but I’m fine with either.”

Steve smiled and nodded at him.

Then, the phone rang, and Sam decided to just let it go to voicemail, just in case it was his parents again. But it wasn’t.

“Sam! Hi, it’s me, Carol. Look, I have a bit of a problem. Um, I really need your help...”

As Carol spoke to the machine, Tony noticed Bucky’s message on the window, and looked at Steve inquisitively. Steve just motioned that it was nothing.

“I hired Val as my production manager, and I don’t think she knows what the hell she’s doing. If you could just, please, baby, just come over to the performance space...”

As she spoke, Sam jumped and ran to the phone, picking it off of the receiver. The other three looked at him questionably.

“Hey, Carol, yeah it’s me… Yes. Yeah, sure, I’ll be there... Okay, see you soon.”

Sam sighed in frustration, before turning to the others to vent. “Can you believe her? I mean, first, she dumps me-” Tony cut him off.

“Carol dumped you?!” He asked, genuinely shocked at the news. Carol and Sam didn’t have the steadiest relationship. Carol was the biggest flirt Tony had known, and she’d actually cheated a couple of times. Nonetheless, Tony didn’t think they would ever actually call it quits. They’d been together since before Sam had even met Steve and Tony.

Sam looked defeated, having to yet again explain the circumstances surrounding the breakup. “Yes, she dumped me, for a lawyer named Valkyrie.”

Tony chuckled, earning another laugh fit from Steve as well. They didn’t laugh because Carol was dating a woman. Why would they? Tony was gay, and Steve was bisexual. They were the last people who would ever judge someone’s sexuality. They’d laughed because while Sam would’ve never left Carol, and was always very forgiving after she’d cheated, Sam had always been nervous about Carol leaving him, whether it be for a man or woman. And it finally happened.

“Valkyrie Parrington?” Rhodey questioned.

“You know her?” Steve asked.

Rhodey laughed. “She came to drag night once at the Pit Crew Club. She approached me after the show to tell me she was so impressed with my performance. She’s pretty hot.”

Sam sighed, then continued. “Anyways, now Carol wants me to go and fix her sound equipment!”

Tony laughed, taking a hit from the joint Rhodey had prepared at some point in the last 5 seconds. “Sam, you could’ve said no.”

“I know, but…” Sam said, cheeks flushing red, in annoyance and embarrassment.

“Awe, that’s cute”, Tony teased. “You still love her”.

Sam’s cheeks flushed some more.

“No, it’s, not like that.”

Rhodey reminded Tony they had to get going if they wanted to make their meeting.

“Oh, yeah, we got this gathering to go to, you guys want to join us?” He asked Steve and Sam.

“Where” Steve asked, hair still a complete mess.

“Life support”, Rhodey offered.

Steve raised an eyebrow. “On Christmas?”

“Some people don’t have anywhere else to go today”, Rhodey replied. “You should come.”

Steve stared at him for a second. “Knock yourselves out.”

“Well, Sam, if you decide to come, everyone’s welcome, it’s not just for people with AIDS, okay?” Rhodey said.

Sam was stuffing his camera into his backpack, and putting on his jacket. “Yeah, sure, I’ll be there. But first, I got a protest to save.”

Tony laughed, and then made a whipping noise and motion, to insinuate that Sam was in fact still in love with Carol, and was whipped.

Sam glared at him before storming off. “I’m just teasing you, man, come on!” Tony screamed out.

Steve stood up to give Rhodey and Tony goodbye hugs. “It’s Christmas. Don’t stay in the house all day”, Tony whispered into Steve’s ear.

Steve was alone. He peered at Bucky’s window message one last time, before ultimately deciding to just go back to bed.

From two floors below, Bucky peered at the clock. It was 11:57 am. He waited around another hour before realizing Steve wasn’t going to show. He put away the blueberries, threw out the pancakes he’d made, and tossed the fresh coffee down the sink.

 

* * *

 

Sam decided against using his bike, and chose to walk to Maureen’s protest space. It was about seven blocks away, but it was Christmas day. Maybe he’d feel inspired by the positivity in the air.

If anything, the trip only motivated Sam to keep working on his documentary. The poverty in New York was at its’ worst. Tent cities, which were just sidewalks filled with the homeless, and vacant buildings where squatters would stay, on nearly every block, and not just in the East Village. People needed to see it with their own eyes. The way the homeless lived, and the way they were treated.

He noticed a mother, with two sons, right outside of his destination. He pulled out a 20$ from the money Rhodey had given him, and wished her a merry Christmas. Would he possibly need that 20$ in less than a week? Of course. But he reminded himself that ‘someone always has it worse than you’

When he walked in, Sam noticed a woman in a suit and a long, expensive-looking winter jacket.

“Hi. Carol called and asked me to come help fix the equipment?”

The woman glared at him. “You’re Sam?” She asked coldly.

Sam grew hesitant. “… Valkyrie?” A wave of awkwardness flooded the room. She’d nodded a ‘yes’ in response.

“Carol said she’d be here”, Sam said, feeling the awkwardness grow by the second.

“Don’t hold your breath”, Valkyrie muttered under her breath. There was a minute of silence before she snapped.

“I told her not to call you!”

Sam felt both the immediate need to flee, but also the immediate need to prove himself.

“Alright, well, can I help anyways?” He sounded so small.

Valkyrie didn’t even look him in the eyes. “I’ve hired an engineer.”

Sam huffed. He really came all this way for nothing. “Great, well, nice to have met you”, he said, as he zipped up his coat, and made his way for the door.

“Wait!” Valkyrie yelled. Sam stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at her.

“He’s three hours late.”

Sam returned to the stage, attempting to hide the smug smile that made its way to his face. “So, what seems to be the problem here?”

Valkyrie walked to the soundboard. “The samples won’t delay, but the cable-”, she said, before Sam cut her off.

“Oh, there’s another way. Here, why don’t you say something into the mic.”

She’d done as he said, and he continued to attempt to solve the issue.

“This is weird”, he said after minutes of silence.

“Really fucking weird”, she replied, aggressively. “This is not how I thought today was going to go. Fighting with these stupid microphones, freezing my ass off, and to top it all off, I’m with you.”

Sam then realized Valkyrie was more mad at Carol, then she was with him. He’d known exactly why. He’d been in her shoes not that long ago.

“I bet you’ve got a fire in your brain. Maybe you’re about to scream? Go insane? Maybe you’re even thinking about drinking gasoline?” Sam said.

Valkyrie snorted. “Well, as a matter of fact…” She said, leaving the rest up in the air.

“I know exactly why. It’s the famous Carol Tango”, he replied, before continuing on in a tangent. “It’s a dark, dizzy, merry go-round. She guilts you into doing everything for her. She’ll tell you everything you want to hear. She constantly flakes out on things, maybe won’t even talk to you for hours unless she needs something. But then every single time you want to call her out on it, all she has to do is flash you those big green eyes, and you feel bad.”

“It’s not like that with me”, Valkyrie insisted.

“Has she ever pouted her lips, and called you ‘pooky’? Sam asked.

“Never”, Valkyrie replied.

Sam raised his eyebrows, and threw his hands up in surrender as he continued to pick at the electrical wires and buttons, as Valkyrie looked on in both interest and annoyance.

The room was filled with silence for a good twenty minutes before she’d asked Sam a question of her own.

“Did you swoon when she walked through the door?”

Sam laughed. “Every single time.” He asked another question of his own.

“Have you ever doubted a kiss or two?”  
Valkyrie refused to answer, and Sam knew that was confirmation enough.

More silence filled the room. It was as if Valkyrie was too scared to admit that everything Sam had mentioned was true. She asked Sam another question.

“Did she often flirt with other guys?”

Sam nodded. “More than ‘flirt’.” Valkyrie looked sullen.

“It’s all bullshit, then? Our relationship? Is that what you’re saying?”

Sam wanted to say yes, but he couldn’t. When he’d walked in there a half hour ago, Valkyrie stood tall, and confident. She didn’t look like that in that moment.

“Look, maybe it’s different. Maybe she’s changed”, he’d said, smiling. Valkyrie smiled back at him.

The pair let more silence flood the room, though this time, it wasn’t awkward. It was almost like Valkyrie’s opinion of Sam changed completely. She’d even cracked a joke while he finished up.

The phone rang and Valkyrie ran to answer as Sam walked up to test the mic himself.

“And, we’re patched”, he spoke, the microphone echoing his words, confirming that he’d fixed it.

“Great!” Valkyrie said, content. She then answered the phone.

“Hello? Hi, honey, Sam and I-”, something Carol said from the other end had made her words come to a stop.

“’Pooky’? You’ve never called me ‘pooky’ before?” She said, angrily.

She exchanged a knowing look with Sam, who in return looked to the floor, attempting to shield his growing smirk.

“Forget it, don’t come. We’re patched”, Valkyrie said to Carol, before hanging up. She huffed out in frustration, throwing her hands to face.

“Pooky”, Sam teased.

“Shut up!” Valkyrie replied.

He’d gathered his things, bid her goodbye, and left, not wanting to miss the life support meeting Rhodey and Tony had invited him to.

 

* * *

 

Sam arrived to the little community center where the meeting was being held, walking up to the circle of people slowly, not wanting to cause a disturbance.

“Okay, everyone, let’s begin. First, I just want to welcome you all. Why don’t we start by going around and introducing ourselves?” A man in glasses and a slightly salt and pepper beard said.

The people in attendance, one at a time, revealed their names.

“Okoye.”  
“Wanda.”  
“Gamora.”  
“Peter.”  
“Scott.”  
“Tony.”

When it’d been Rhodey’s turn, he decided to take the wig off, to let it be known to the others that he was in fact not a biological woman, but a drag queen.

“Hi, I’m Rhodey.”

The man who was moderating the discussion then introduced himself. “I’m Stephen, everybody. Dr. Stephen Strange.”

Sam had dropped his bag on a chair, causing everyone to avert their gazes to him.

“And you are?” Dr. Strange asked him.

“Oh, I’m not… I don’t have…I’m just here with-” He stumbled with his words, not knowing the correct way to tell everyone there that he wasn’t living with AIDS, but was instead there to support Tony and Rhodey. “Sam. Sam, I’m Sam”, he then said, waving, blushing.

They all just stared at him.

He took a second before pulling out his camera. “Does anyone have a problem if I film a little of this for a documentary?”

Stephen looked around the room, taking note of all of the people nodding their heads no. “Make yourself comfortable, Sam”, he said, enthusiastically.

“Alright. Now, who wants to begin?” Dr. Strange asked the circle. Nobody spoke up for a while. But then, Peter did. Peter Quill. Rhodey recognized him from other groups.

“Well, I’m…” He began, though trailed off, looking straight at the camera, almost embarrassed. He took a breath before continuing on. “Yesterday, I found out my T cells were low.

Dr. Strange looked at him sympathetically. “What was your reaction?”

Peter looked to the ground, the ceiling, anywhere but Dr. Strange’s eyes. “Scared.”

“And how are you feeling today? Right now?” Stephen asked.

Tears began to fill Peter’s eyes, but he did a great job of holding them back. “Okay. Alright. Pretty good. The best I’ve felt in months.”

“Then why choose fear?” Stephen asked, emotions getting the best of him, his voice going in and out.

“I’m a New Yorker. Fear’s my life”, Peter said, earning laughs from the group. He continued on with a slight rant once the laughter died down.

“Look, If I’m being honest, I find some of what you teach suspicious. My fear? It comes from confusion. I can’t help but be scared of the unknown. I don’t understand this disease. I should have died three years ago, but for some reason, I’m still here. I wish I knew why.”

The group members, including Sam, all looked at him with compassion. This Peter had a point. Most of the time, when diagnosing patients, doctors stated the obvious: “you’ve got a short amount of time left before the virus fully reaches you.” But sometimes, that’s not the case. Some people had gone extra months, or years, before they bit the dust. There was even the very rare chance they didn’t die.

Doctor Strange put a hand to Peter’s shoulder, before continuing on to someone else.

Once the hour was up, Doctor Strange got each group member to stand up, hold hands, and recite the words that they had at the end of every meeting, something that every AIDS support group all over the city did.

“There’s only us, there’s only this, forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today”, they chanted quietly.

 

* * *

 

**_December 27th, 1989._ **

It was a little after 1 am. Bucky’s set usually finished around 11:30, unless of course the crowd begged him to get back out there and keep dancing, like they had that night.

Being on the stage and dancing for all of the gay, bisexual, and confused closet-cases in the East Village was one of the most euphoric feelings. Of course, the job came with issues. He’d had a couple of dark and traumatic experiences with some men who refused to take “no” for an answer after hours, he’d been mugged many times, and the pay was abysmal; nevertheless, the way he’d felt up there meant everything to him. It took his mind off of other things going on in his life.

Bucky was singlehandedly the best dancer at the Pit Crew club. His sets were always the longest, they’d always saved him for the end of the night, and he was always the most requested for private dances. They really needed to start paying him more. He was clearly their best asset.

He walked backstage to the dressing room, drenched in sweat, with bills (most of them 1$’s, but some up to 20$) tucked tightly into the straps of his bright red thong. Yeah, he knew he looked good.

Every few months, a couple of rich men, probably from wall street, looking to hide away would show up at the club. Those nights, Bucky would walk away with 50$ and 100$ bills.

“Hey there, hot stuff, nice work out there”, Bucky’s friend Natasha said to him, handing him a towel and some water. Natasha worked at the Cat Scratch Club a couple of blocks down. She bartended a couple nights at the Pit Crew Club for extra money, because like Bucky, she hadn’t been getting payed enough at her club.

He laughed. “Thank you”, he said, sitting in the chair in front of the mirror, taking a long swig of water, and patting at his long, drenched hair with the towel.

Nat looked at him through the mirror and smiled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you liked it up there on that stage.”

Bucky laughed again. “I mean it’s not the worst thing to be doing for money in the meantime. But, I’d eventually like to get out of here.”

Natasha nodded in agreement and understanding. She’d felt the same way.

“Alright, well my shift is done. I’ll see you next week, cutie”, she said, kissing his head, and heading for the exit.

“Bye, gorgeous”, Bucky replied. Natasha was only a couple of years older, but had acted as a fairy godmother for Bucky. She’d gotten him the job at the Pit Crew Club when Bucky had first gotten to New York at age 18, when he’d been sleeping in the park and didn’t have a dime to his name. Since then, they’d both looked out for one another. She was now one of Bucky’s closest friends.

Bucky changed into his clothes, collected his jacket and bag, and left the building.

The short walk back to his apartment was always a risk, mostly because of how genuinely sketchy the area was that time of night. Bucky was fit, and he had muscle, but he definitely wasn’t built like some of the other dancers at the club. He was reminded of this every time he thought back to the time he got seriously beat during one of his worse muggings. His attacker was huge, and therefore had a huge advantage over him. Since then, he’d always try to walk back with Logan, another dancer, who lived in the next building over, and was twice Bucky’s size. However, Logan didn’t work as many nights a week as Bucky, so he still found himself having to walk alone.

That particular night had seemed to be dead. Not a person in sight. Bucky took advantage of the silence to dance and hum to one of the songs that he’d danced to earlier that night. It was stuck in his head. He’d had a good night, and therefore, was in a good mood.

When he reached his building in one piece, he could hear the strumming of a guitar. He looked up, but couldn’t see anyone on the fire escape. He’d still assumed it was Steve. Who else in the building had enough money for a guitar?

That brief interaction had Bucky thinking about Steve again. The other night in Steve’s apartment was sweet. It was a short meeting, but it’d been long enough for Bucky to have developed feelings for the guy. Sure, he realized he should’ve probably still been a little upset that Steve ignored his Christmas morning invitation, but he couldn’t be. It’s not like him and Steve were suddenly going to become best friends after that one night. And yet, he hadn’t been able to shake Steve from his mind since…

Bucky walked into his apartment, dropping his bag onto the floor, and hanging up his coat. A wave of loneliness hit him, but he didn’t want to give into the feeling. He decided it was too nice of a night for that. He fiddled with his boom box, switching radio stations until he found a good one.

Bucky stepped out on to his fire escape, the music from inside faintly reaching him. Just then, the very song he’d hummed and danced to on his way home, the same one he’d danced to earlier that night, came on. He sang along, and began to dance. He let the lights, the sounds, and the city intoxicate him. An idea crept into his mind.

In a burst of confidence, he decided to run in to turn up the music, before returning to the fire escape, and climbing the two floors to reach Steve’s.

Bucky continued to dance and sing along to the music playing as he pushed the living room window to Steve’s apartment open. Bucky was lucky it was unlocked.

Steve sat at his couch, guitar in hand, pen and paper discarded on the coffee table, as Bucky walked right in.

He sang and danced around on the ledge of the window, and Steve stared at him like he was the most beautiful thing in the world, completely mesmerized by the younger man’s moves.

Bucky jumped onto the coffee table and crawled towards Steve, entering the man’s personal space.

The two men were then inches apart, staring into each other’s eyes, as they both let out deep, shuddered, breaths. Bucky then reached for both of Steve’s cheeks, and kissed him.

Steve tasted of cinnamon, cigarettes, and coffee. A weird combination, though Bucky quite enjoyed it.

Steve melted into the kiss, placing one of his hands onto Bucky’s back to bring him even closer.

Before Bucky got the chance to make another move, Steve abruptly pushed him off. He stood up quickly. “Who do you think you are?” His voice grew deeper, angrier, as he glared at Bucky.

Bucky must have looked pathetic. He hadn’t known how to react. He looked like a complete deer in headlights.

“What makes you think you have the right to walk in here and barge in on me like this?” His words turned into screams. “You are not my friend, you’re not my boyfriend. The door is that way, Bucky. Take your drugs, take your candle, and go, cause I’m not doing this!”

Steve walked up to the door to slide it open. He’d paused. Bucky didn’t deserve this.

For a quick second, Steve debated telling Bucky why he was acting the way he was acting. He wanted to tell Bucky it was because of the AIDS. He wanted to tell Bucky he was scared of putting himself out there again. He wanted to tell Bucky it was because he was afraid of infecting Bucky. He wanted to tell Bucky it was because he was scared of losing Bucky to drugs, like he had Peggy. He wanted to tell him all of it. He ultimately decided against it, and turned around to add more fuel to the fire.

“I’m not sure if you thought that after that night we were a couple, or maybe I was interested in you? If that is the case, I can assure you, I’m not. If you’re looking for love, try apartment 5C.”

“You’re not mad at me”, Bucky began, eyes wet. Bucky’s emotions hadn’t been due to Steve’s harsh words. They were because he felt sorry for Steve. Steve just stared at him. “Look, I know you’re scared, Steve. I know you lost someone important to you, I know that. You’re still grieving. But you need to give in to love, and not live in fear.” Steve seemed to calm down a bit. He himself looked like he could’ve started crying. Bucky lay a hand over Steve’s.

“Life’s going to pass you by. Before you know it, you’re going to wake up one day, full of regret. Don’t push people away, Steve. Let people in.”

Steve looked down at their hands, before letting the rage overcome him yet again.

“Excuse me if I overstep here, but if you’re so wise, Bucky, then why are you a junkie? Huh?” Steve pulled him up, and grabbed his arm, walking him back to the door. “Take your needles, take your drugs and go! Another time, and another place, maybe I would’ve been lucky enough to have you. I probably would’ve given you everything. But believe me when I say I have nothing left to give! I don’t want you, and I don’t need you!”

Tears began falling from Bucky’s eyes. He took one last look at Steve before turning around, and making a break for his apartment.

Out of the shadows from the exterior hallway, Tony, Rhodey, and Sam stepped into the apartment. Rhodey whispered something into Tony’s ear, before running after Bucky to make sure he was okay.

Steve’s friends looked at him in disappointment. He just stared at the ground.

“How much of that did you hear?” Steve asked them.

“We got here right around the first time you told him to take his drugs and leave”, Sam replied.

Silence. Maybe it had been awkward? Steve was too overwhelmed to notice.

Tony walked to the door to head out, before turning around to offer his two cents. “You know what, Steve? That boy is right.”

 

* * *

 

**_December 28th, 1989._ **

The next morning, Steve woke up full of regret. He really wasn’t the monster he wanted everyone to think he was. He knew just how badly he’d hurt Bucky, he wasn’t stupid. But instead of apologizing and dicking Bucky around, Steve decided he’d rather keep as much distance between them as he could. It was what was best for everyone.

Steve sat on the couch and stared out the window, mug of coffee in hand, as he’d pondered everything. Sam walked into the living room moments later, putting his outdoor wear on. He hadn’t said anything to Steve since last night. He figured Steve didn’t want to talk anyways.

Then the phone rang. It was T’Challa. Thank god neither of them answered. It really was a bad habit, not answering their phone, but it worked out in their favor more times than none.

“Steve, Sam, it’s T’Challa. Uh, look, you guys still got a few hours to stop Carol’s protest. My offer expires the second she steps out onto the stage. Bye.”

T’Challa really was such a joy.

The two made eye contact. “How are you doing?” Steve asked him, attempting to sound as neutral as he could.

Sam smiled at him. “I’m good, man.” Though he’d decided earlier to not even talk to Steve, he’d figured this moment alone he had with him was as good a time as ever to clear the air. “Look, about last night…” He began, but was cut off.

“I don’t want to talk about it”, Steve said, taking a sip of his coffee.

They sat in silence, before Sam kept bugging him. Deep down, he knew Steve would never actually get mad at him for talking.

“You know, Bucky’s going to be at Carol’s show tonight. Rhodey invited him. I guess they know each other from the club. Anyways, you should come too.” Steve just stared at him, giving him one of his best poker faces.

“Come on, Steve. I’d hate to see you pass up something that could be really good for you. You’ll only regret it.”

Steve chuckled sarcastically. He thought back to last night when Bucky told him basically the same thing.

“I’ll live”, Steve replied.

Sam patted him on the knee before heading out. Steve was very clearly not in the mood for anything or anyone today. He tied on his boots, and left the building.

Alone. It was how Steve preferred it. He closed his eyes, about to fall back into an all-afternoon nap, before the phone rang.

Steve got up from the couch angrily, and answered the phone, enraged, not even bothering to make sure it wasn’t T’Challa before going off.

“You know what, T’Challa? You can shove it! We aren’t getting Carol to call off the show, so suck my fucking dick!”

Rhodey laughed into the phone. “Well, good morning to you too, sailor.”

Steve’s cheeks filled with heat as he was hit with a wave of embarrassment. “Rhodey?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Hi, Steve.”

Steve apologized for his comments, and told Rhodey they were very much meant for someone else. “So, why are you calling? Sam’s not here.”

“I know. I wanted to talk to you. Look, I know you might not be up for it because of everything that happened last night, but I just wanted to invite you to today’s life support meeting. Tony, Sam, and I, we’ll all be there. It starts in twenty minutes. You don’t have to come, but I just thought I’d throw it out there.”

Steve didn’t reply for a good two minutes. Instead, he just stared at the floor, and debated whether or not to go. If he went, he’d really only be going for Rhodey, seeing as he was still annoyed at both Sam and Tony.

“Alright. Alright, save me a spot, okay? I’ll be there.”

 

* * *

 

The meeting went on just as every life support meeting had. Those who wanted to share stories did; Those who were just comfortable listening, listened.

This time, Rhodey spoke.

“I was in such a negative and dark place my entire childhood. That negativity and darkness followed me into my teens, and early adulthood. When I was diagnosed, I’d made the conscious decision that my last days on this earth were going to be spent spreading love and positivity. It was exactly how I wanted to be as a kid, but couldn’t. Happy, positive, and regret free. That’s why I go out in drag during the day, and not just at night. Because it’s what makes me happy. When I die, I hope that all memories of the Rhodey I used to be are filled with the memories of the Rhodey I was when the disease caught up with me.”

The other members listened graciously, and nodded. A couple of them got up to give him hugs.

After Rhodey, Scott Lang spoke up.

“I don’t care about dying. I find this to be a blessing in disguise. I’m not afraid to leave everyone behind. But honestly, I am afraid of losing my dignity.”

The other members offered responses, and some agreed, just as Steve had walked into the building.

He walked up and took a seat in between Tony and Rhodey. Rhodey smiled brightly, and kissed Steve on the cheek. Tony hugged him.

While Sam, Steve, and Tony all became friends around the same time, it was public knowledge that Steve and Sam were the best friends, mostly due to Tony always coming and going throughout the years. However, Steve and Tony were going through the same thing, something that only they (and now Rhodey, too) could understand. Steve hugged him back. In that moment, Steve had forgotten all about his annoyance towards his friends. He was glad he had shown up. He was glad that he wasn’t completely alone.

 

* * *

 

 

“I am so glad you came, man. So, glad. I’m proud of you”, Tony said, squeezing Steve’s shoulders as the quartet left the building and made their way to the subway.

“Thank you”, Steve replied.

While Rhodey was getting his wig back into place as the meeting finished, he’d mentioned being hungry for hotdogs, and apparently, they were all hungry for hotdogs. They’d decided on Grey’s Papaya, but the closest one was in the next neighborhood over. They all loathed the subway, but it was a sacrifice they were all willing to make.

Before they could reach the station, the gang were distracted by two police offers screaming at a sleeping bum to get off of the sidewalk.

“Get up, man! Get your ass up, let’s go!” One of the officers said.

“Oh, shit, man, I think it’s a lady”, the other replied once the bum stood up, and went to collect her things.

Sam pulled his camera out of his bag, and began to film. “Smile for Ted Koppel, officers”, he said, pointing the camera right at them.

The officers scoffed, and walked off. The homeless woman then turned to Sam, frustrated.

“Who do you think you are? I don’t need no goddamn help from some bleeding-heart cameraman. My life isn’t for you to make a name for yourself on!”

Rhodey slowly approached her, attempting to calm her down. “Easy, sugar, easy. He was just trying to”, the woman cut her off.

“Just trying to use me to kill his guilt. It’s not that kind of movie, honey. This place is full of artists”, she said, beginning to walk off. She then came to a halt, and turned around, directing a question at Sam.

“Hey, artist, you got a dollar?”

Sam stared at her, dumbfounded. He wishes he could’ve said yes, but he didn’t have any of the money Rhodey gave him on himself, just in case he’d gotten mugged.

“Hmm, yeah, I didn’t think so”, the woman said, before finally walking away.

The group continued on to the subway.

Sam still felt like shit, so Rhodey comforted him, locking his arm in Sam’s. “Sam, come on. We all know that had you had money on you, you probably would’ve given her more than a measly dollar. Relax, sweetheart, don’t let it get to you.”

The train took off.

Luckily, the cart was empty, just the four of them, and a couple of women on the farther side.

“New York City. ‘The center of the universe’. Times sure are shitty, but they couldn’t possibly get any worse”, Rhodey said, laughing.

The other men groaned in agreement.

“It’s funny how this place is still considered one of the top destinations, when let’s be real here, anywhere other than New York would be a pleasure cruise”, Tony said.

Steve laughed, earing stares from them all. “If only people realized how miserable it is here. They sure don’t show you everything on the T.V.”

Silence filled the air, as Tony’s face grew smug. “I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea.” The others stared at him, waiting for him to spit it out.

“Let’s open up a restaurant in sunny Sante Fe. Now that would be perfect.”

The others laughed, as the idea was just incredibly unrealistic.

“Babe, you’re a professor. You’re not going to pack up, and run off to open a restaurant”, Rhodey said.

“Ugh, but it’d be brilliant! Sam could cook; Steve can sing, make and hang up portraits and sell them; Hon, you can drum for the customers! Come on, guys, tell me that wouldn’t be amazing?” Tony said, overly proud of what his mind had just cooked up.

“And uh, what would you do, there, Stark?” Steve asked, completely ready for some bullshit reply.

“Me? Well, it was my idea, so that’s my contribution. I guess I could also seat the customers.”

They all laughed at him. Tony was such a dork. He sure was the comedic one, and he barely even tried. His sense of humor and wit were everything.

“Let’s do it, guys. We can pack up our shit, and save ourselves from this dreaded, cold, bohemian hell”, he’d pressed again.

“I’m afraid that idea’s just going to have to wait”, Sam said. “We’ve all got to make more money first.”

Sam hard worked at a bodega close to the apartment, but most of the money he made went towards paying off his student loans.

Tony looked crush, but Rhodey assured him they could do it once everyone had money. He’d, of course, only said that to keep Tony’s spirits up.

They reached their destination, and spent the next forty minutes in hotdog heaven. Thank god for Gray’s Papaya. Nowhere else in New York could they get hotdogs of this quality, at such a low price. Because Steve had decided to join and it was a beautiful day, Tony decided he’d pay for everybody.

They chatted amongst themselves about little things. Rhodey told Steve and Sam a little bit more about himself. How long he’d lived in the city, how long he’d been doing drag, how long he’d been drumming. Every time he spoke, the duo couldn’t help but fall more and more in love with Tony’s new boyfriend. He really did have such an aura of positivity around him at all times, and he spoke with such comfort. They were extremely happy for Tony, and they were happy to have Rhodey join the gang.

“Alright, guys, I’m late for Carol’s sound check, I’ve got to get going”, Sam said, as he scarfed the remaining bite of his hotdog down. Once he was done swallowing, he’d turned to Steve. “Steve? I could really use some help…”

Steve chuckled. “Alright, alright, fine.”

The duo waved a goodbye to Rhodey and Tony, even though they’d be seeing them later that night.

“Come on, cutie”, Rhodey said, reaching a hand out. Now that they were alone, things could get gooey and soft, and they wouldn’t feel bad.

“And where might you be taking me, my queen?” Tony said, laughing, as Rhodey pulled him and began to run, dragging Tony with him.

“Back to my place, where I expect hours and hours of cuddles”, he’d said, finishing with a wink.

Tony smiled. He couldn’t help it. In reality, he hadn’t stopped smiling since the night he met Rhodey.

When he’d taken Tony back to his little shoe box apartment that night, Tony wasn’t sure what to expect. Rhodey set him up on the couch under some blankets, and ran out to attend his life support meeting. They were important to him. He returned thirty minutes later, with Band-Aids, gauze, soap, everything Tony’s cuts and wounds would need. They ended up talking until the sun came up.

Tony learned that Rhodey had lived in New Jersey his whole life. His parents were extremely abusive. Every night, he’d stay up late and make outfits, and costumes out of items around the house. Then, he’d put them on, and dance around his room. They were the only happy memories he had. Rhodey was depressed, unhappy, and alone, for years. His failed suicide was his last straw. He realized he didn’t want to be unhappy anymore. So, he packed up, and came to the East Village with nothing. He became a drag queen, something he’d wanted to do since he was a kid. When he was diagnosed with AIDS, he vowed to spend the rest of his days giving back, and spreading love, like he had mentioned at the meeting.

After Rhodey spilled his entire story to Tony, Tony returned the favor. He was the child of Maria and Howard Stark, a famous engineer and businessman, who founded Stark Industries. Howard was never present in his son’s life, at least not when it counted. He was always more interested in keeping up appearances to the public that they were in fact a happy family, than he ever was with spending time with Tony. When Tony was 13, Howard began grooming him to eventually take over the business. Tony was already quite the little genius; He had been from a young age. But then, Howard and Maria found some gay porn magazines under Tony’s bed. They threw him out. They told the media their son had died. They completely cut him out of their lives. One of his father’s friends, Obadiah Stane, took him in, and let him stay with him until he graduated high school. Luckily, Tony, who decided to go along with his parents’ story that ‘Tony Stark died’ and took on Obadiah’s last name, managed to graduate high school at 15. He had accepted a full ride to M.I.T. He then moved to New York for work once he’d earned his degree, which is where he met Sam, Steve, Carol, and T’Challa. He’d come and go, commuting back and forth from New York to Massachusetts, as the professors at M.I.T. loved having him back to work on things, and they appreciated his feedback. Soon enough, he was hired as an actual professor, where he remained for months, until they fired him, right before Christmas. Tony had blown up hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment during one of his classes. Had it been because his AZT was barely working, and he realized he probably only had months left to live, so he took his anger out on those poor machines? Maybe. But he wasn’t going to admit that to anyone.

Tony and Rhodey had quite evidently both been through a lot. And now here they were: living with AIDS. But at least this time, neither of them felt alone.

That night, Tony, who assured Rhodey it wasn’t the ibuprofen talking, asked Rhodey to be his boyfriend. Rhodey agreed.

“I kind of wish I hadn’t already wasted the money I brought with me today. It’s pretty chilly out”, Tony said, shivering, only wearing his red sweater and black hat, a couple of his brown curls peeking out at his forehead.

Rhodey looked around their surroundings, locked his fingers with Tony’s and walked him further down the street to a street vendor.

They had a rack of clothing, consisting of pants, sweaters, and, as luck would have it, a stylish winter jacket in Tony’s size. Rhodey reached into the back of his wig, and pulled out the 20$ he’d been hiding, paying the vendor for the jacket.

He took it off the rack, and put it on Tony himself. Tony looked at him in amazement.

“I still don’t know exactly what I did to deserve you”, Tony began, doing his best to hold back tears that crept his way. “But I’m glad I did it.”

Rhodey laughed, and went for his hand. “I’ll make you a deal. You by my person, I’ll be your home. You’d only have to pay me in kisses, and we can call it square”, he said, teasingly. He led them to a bench nearby, where the two took a seat.

“You be my queen, I’ll be your king. I’ll pay you in kisses, if you pay me in cuddles”, Tony replied, putting his arms around Rhodey. “I’ll cover you, always. Like your very own personal blanket.”

The two laughed, as they settled into a comfortable silence, still linked in each other’s arms.

“You taught me the meaning of love, Tony. I know we’ve only known each other a couple of days, but it feels like we’ve been together for years. I love you so much”, Rhodey said, breaking eye contact mid-sentence as embarrassment flooded his face.

That was the first time either of them had said it. Unbeknownst to Rhodey, Tony had been minutes away from saying it himself.

Tony smiled, going in for a kiss. It was short, but passionate. Their most intimate one yet.

“I love you, too”, Tony replied.

They kissed again.

“Those words we just shared? That was the most affection I’ve ever shown anyone. And I loved it, but it was also kind of cringe-inducing”, Tony said, laughing.

Rhodey fell into a laughing fit, and agreed, as they got up to walk the rest of the way to Rhodey’s apartment. It’d take them at least two hours, but they didn’t care. They were happy, and they were together. 


	3. La Vie Bohème

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam meets an amazing woman; Carol's protest results in an intense riot; Two of our favorite people finally admit their feelings for one another.
> 
> Not going to lie, this was a hard chapter to write. Turning 'La Vie Bohème' into actual dialogue proved to be very difficult. I was almost going to just get them to sing it, but that would've been silly. So, if you're a RENT fan, I'm so sorry for the cringe.

“So, come on, be honest”, Sam began as he walked out of Carol’s performance space, Steve following behind. “What do you think of her?”

Sam was referring to Valkyrie, who, of course, had been at the performance space alone, making sure everything was set up perfectly for Carol. This time around, Sam decided not to overstep his boundaries. He didn’t say anything that might risk upsetting Valkyrie.

Steve looked like he could throw up at any moment. “Valkyrie Parrington frightens me.”

When Sam had introduced the two of them, Valkyrie stared Steve up and down with her intense, judgmental eyes. “Nice hair”, she’d said, though both Sam and Steve agreed she definitely didn’t mean it.

Sam laughed. “I told you!”

The two passed by a music shop, where a beautiful electric guitar was displayed in the front window.

Steve didn’t have enough money on him to purchase it. Not that he wanted to, he had his acoustic guitar at home, he didn’t need a new one. He just wanted to browse.

“No, go ahead, I’ll hang out out here, maybe walk around the block and see if I can’t find anything interesting to film”, Sam said. He would happily wait for his friend if it meant Steve was doing something that involved being out of the apartment.

Sam walked to the end of the block, nearing a homeless man, and his daughter. They’d been facing traffic, the father holding a sign. Hungry, homeless, and cold. Got any $ to spare? Sam quickly pulled out his camera, and began to shoot them. He kept a distance, but was still close enough for them to notice him.

“Hey, I don’t recommend doing that”, a voice from behind called out. She smiled at Sam.

Sam returned the smile. “What do you mean?”

The woman gestured for Sam to come closer to her.

“That’s Hank. If he spots that camera? You’re dead.”

Sam was suddenly glad that this supposed Hank didn’t notice him.

“Why is that?” Sam asked curiously. It might’ve been a silly question. What person wouldn’t get uncomfortable being filmed without consent?

“Well, for one thing, he’s homeless. What homeless person would accept an invitation to be filmed living in squalor?” The woman laughed. “And second, he’s extremely protective of his daughter.”

Sam was hit with a wave of curiosity about this woman. He’d also been very attracted to her, not that that was important. Her curly dark auburn hair matched her light brown jacket and blue jeans perfectly.

“Are you a friend of his?” Sam asked her.

“You could say that. You could say I’m a friend of most of this neighborhood’s homeless community”, she replied, offering out a hand. “I’m Natasha.”

Sam just about dropped his camera as he led out a hand to shake hers. Thank god, he didn’t. Natasha might’ve just walked away out of embarrassment for him.

“I’m Sam…Wilson”, he smiled.

“So, Sam…Wilson”, she teased. “What exactly are you doing with that camera?”

Sam looked down at his camera, before quickly feeding it to his backpack.

“You got time to take a walk?” He said.

Natasha smiled, leading the way.

 

* * *

 

“That’s kind of amazing, actually. I don’t even think most of the people who live in New York realize how bad the people have it here, let alone people from elsewhere in the world”, Natasha said, impressed by what Sam had told her about his documentary.

“Totally. I didn’t even notice things were this bad until I was fresh out of university, and I moved into one of the dingy buildings on 5th with a couple of friends. Since then, things have been eye opening. I’ve watched homeless people on the street get treated like garbage, like they weren’t human; I’ve watched my gay friends get beat to near death; My black friends and I have gone through the worst possible things just because we’re black. None of it is fair. None of it is right. And don’t even get me started on how badly people living with aids are treated”, Sam said, suddenly feeling a pit in his gut. That pit was brought up every time he brought up his reasoning’s for starting his documentary.

“You know what I think?” Natasha said, scooting closer to Sam on the bench.

Sam met her gaze. This woman was strikingly beautiful. “What?”

Natasha smiled at him. “I think you are one brave man, Sam Wilson. For you to bring up social issues that most people in power wouldn’t ever acknowledge? And to put it all on film? It’s brave.” She looked at the burger joint across the street, and her eyes grew wide at the sight of the clock.

“Shit! I’m so late! Look, I’ve got to go. You seem like an amazing guy, Sam. Never lose that quality”, she said, patting him on the shoulder. She began to walk away, until Sam abruptly stopped her. Natasha had mentioned that she considers herself an ally to the lesser people of the city. She’d said that she sometimes goes to different homeless people on the streets, and gives them any extra cash she has lying around, adding that even though her job didn’t pay her much, she’d always have enough left over to give. She seemed too good to be true. He didn’t want to risk not seeing her ever again.

“Wait!” He hurried after her. “Can I see you again?”

Natasha smirked. “Of course. Call whenever”, she said, giving him her number. “Just not tonight, because I have a protest to go to.”

Sam looked amused. “Carol Danvers’ protest?”

Natasha looked stunned. “Yeah! How’d you know?”

Sam laughed, more to himself than anything. “Carol is actually my ex-girlfriend. I actually helped prepare the set. I’m going to be there!”

Natasha kissed him on the cheek. “Well then I guess I’ll see you later.”

Sam was awestruck. He’d decided he was going to marry Natasha. It was more of a joke to ease his nerves, but hey, if it happens, he wouldn’t be upset. When she spoke to Sam, the concern in her voice for the gay, homeless, and racial minorities of the city confirmed to Sam that she really was the real deal. She was passionate about helping in any way she could. He was really lucky to have met her.

Sam ran back to the music shop to see if Steve was still there. He walked in to see Steve playing out a jam on the guitar to multiple customers, and the clerk. Sam was surprised to see that Steve looked surprisingly happy. It was nice to see his genuine smile back. Steve hadn’t looked this happy in at least two years.

Steve finished playing around with the guitar, and thanked everyone for their applause. He approached Sam, and they walked out.

“You look like you had fun in there”, Sam said, affectionately.

Steve rolled his eyes, attempting to hide the grin on his face. “Yeah, I guess. Whatever.”

 

* * *

 

“So, you’re sure she’s real? You didn’t just make her up in your mind?” Steve asked, playfully teasing his best friend.

Sam rolled his eyes, but laughed. “No, I didn’t just make her up in my mind, you dick. She’s real. And she’s amazing.” Sam had only met Natasha six hours ago, but that face hadn’t left his thoughts since the two had parted ways.

Sam pointed out the police officers that had been patrolling the exterior, and also T’Challa’s shiny black vehicle, meaning he was definitely here somewhere.

The two walked into the semi-packed venue, and made their way to the crowd, close enough to the stage that if she’d looked into the sea of people, Carol would be able to see them.

Despite Sam and Carol’s break up, they had all been friends for years, Carol included, and Sam knew that. Regardless of the way he currently felt about her, he didn’t want that to change. A world without Carol in it at all was a world he couldn’t even imagine. Though he had been hopeful for an eventual reunion, the more time passed, the more Sam made peace with the fact that they were, in fact, over.

Tony and Rhodey showed up, greeting the other boys with hugs. Steve took it upon himself to tell them all about Sam’s new crush.

Rhodey laughed. “She works at the club with Bucky! I’ve seen her around. I don’t know much about her, but she’s sweet!” Apparently Rhodey knew everyone.

Tony grinned, staring directly at Steve, before turning to Sam. “Hey, speaking of Bucky, have either of you seen him yet?”

Sam looked at Steve through his peripherals to try to pick up on Steve’s reaction before offering up an answer. “No, I haven’t.”

Steve just nodded his head no, and tried his damned hardest to not start a fight with Tony right then and there. They’d had such a good day earlier, and the jerk was already testing his patience.

“Oh, there he is! Bucky!” Rhodey called out to him from afar.

Bucky was talking to another guy by the exit doors. A man Steve knew all too much.

Brock Rumlow. He was a friend of Peggy’s from before Steve had even met her. He was the reason Peggy had turned to drugs. He was the reason Steve had turned to drugs.

Seeing Bucky with him? Steve was hit with an urge to go and protect him. Rumlow wasn’t your average drug dealer. He was bad news.

Steve marched in their direction. A litany of ‘Steve, what the fuck are you doing?’s flooded his mind. Because honestly, what was he doing? Bucky didn’t belong to him. He was free to do whatever, and talk to whomever he wanted. Steve couldn’t keep confusing himself like this, let alone keep confusing Bucky. The more Steve’s brain told him to stop, the faster his legs brought him closer, and closer to Bucky, until he was finally in front of him.

“Hey. Can we talk?” Steve mumbled to Bucky.

Bucky looked extremely surprised to see him. A smile snuck onto his face, but was interrupted by Rumlow getting up in Steve’s personal space.

“Hey, lover boy! You steal my client, you die!”

Steve pushed him off. “Hey! You didn’t miss me, you won’t miss him! Look around. There’s plenty of customers!”

Rumlow looked at Steve like he was about to kill him. To prevent further chaos, Bucky sent Rumlow off, and pulled Steve aside.

Rumlow shook his head, and scoffed, ultimately deciding to storm out of the venue.

Bucky smiled at Steve, batting his eyes at him in the process. Bucky looked like heaven. Steve didn’t even know what he was going to say to him. “You look like such an ass, right now, Rogers”, Steve thought to himself.

He figured he should apologize. Steve had first decided he wasn’t going to. But in that moment, with Bucky looking at him like he was the most amazing man on the planet, Steve realized he needed to. He owed it to the both of them.

“Look, about the other night, I’m sorry. I just don’t know what the-” Bucky cut him off.

“Just forget it, Steve.” Bucky looked hurt as he replayed what happened in Steve’s apartment in his head.

Steve wanted to kiss him; hug him; hold him. Anything.

Was it getting hot in there? Carol must’ve turned the heat up. Yeah, that was probably it. Steve wasn’t sweating because he was just hit with the realization that he liked Bucky. No, that’d be crazy.

“I was out of line. Can I make it up to you?” Steve said to him, running his hands through his own hair, hoping bucky wold accept his offer, hoping he wouldn’t see the sweat forming on his forehead.

Bucky hesitated, looking down for a minute without answering, before looking back up at Steve. “How?”

“A bunch of us are getting together tonight, at the Life Café, after the show…”

“Yeah?” Bucky asked. Jesus. The light from the stage was hitting him just right. Jesus. This guy.

“Would you maybe want to come with me?”

Bucky beamed. “Sure. I’d love to.”

Steve returned the smile. He gestured for Bucky to follow him back into the sea of people to find their friends, and Bucky did just that.

“So, you’re a tough guy?” Bucky questioned. Steve looked at him confusedly.

Bucky mimicked how Steve had pushed Rumlow minutes earlier, and they both started laughing, Steve offering an apology.

“No, that was pretty good. I like when guys fight over me”, Bucky replied teasingly.

Their interaction was cut short with a “Bucky!” that came from a couple of rows ahead.

“Rhodey!” Bucky said in return, locking his arms around Rhodey when he reached him.

Steve noticed that Natasha had found her way to the group while he was with Bucky, and took it upon himself to properly introduce himself, before properly introducing Bucky to Sam and Tony. Natasha grabbed Bucky and hugged him tight, both of them melting into the hug.

Right. Steve completely forgot that they’d apparently known each other.

Tony leaned into Steve’s ear discreetly. “You made yet another good decision today, Rogers. You’re on a roll. Keep it up.”

Steve rolled his eyes, just as the lights went out, and the sound of a vehicle’s engine began to fill the room.

The audience began to cheer as a spotlight hit Carol, who was stationed at the rear end of the room, mounted on a motorcycle.

She rode it towards the front of the room, cutting into the sea of people, and making her way onto the stage.

Valkyrie, who was on the balcony working the lighting, shined the light onto Carol once again. She looked so proud of Carol.

Carol waited for the audience to settle down before beginning her show.

“First, I just want to thank you all for coming out. This means so much to me. The different communities around these parts mean so much to me, and it warms my heart to know you all share the same sentiment”, she said into the microphone before turning her gaze to the police, who all came walking into the venue at once, with T’Challa, and a few business friends judging by their suits. “Hopefully, tonight, we can prove to our visitors in the back that we’re not trash, or dirt, or scum. We’re all more than that, especially those of you who don’t have a place to call home. Because damn it, this is home.” The audience cheered. Carol really knew how to work a crowd. Especially this specific crowd, made up of almost entirely bohemians, mostly homeless, gay men, and women, of color.

“As we all know, our streets are soon going to be filled with new businesses, properties, and anything else T’Challa can pull out of his ass. Him and his father in law will not rest until the majority of us are gone. Wiped out. And that just isn’t okay with me. It sucks to be looked down upon by the conservative, suit-wearing, money hungry wall street warthogs who roam up and down our streets; it sucks even more when one of those warthogs is someone who used to be one of us; Who used to have morals. Who used to understand what it felt like to be in our shoes, and not those designer ones he has on now. So, with that in mind, enjoy the show.”

Sam took a look behind him to try and get a look at T’Challa’s face. Natasha noticed, and riffled her hand through his hair teasingly. Though it’d been quite dark, Sam’s beet-red face was highly noticeable. Steve witnessed the somewhat embarrassing interaction, and held back a laugh.

Carol transitioned into a performance piece detailing the events of her life, from her move to New York City, to having to spend a couple of nights at the homeless shelter, to meeting Sam, and the rest of the boys, to being dirt broke, to witnessing the most horrible of interactions between the police and the homeless.

She even prepared a symbolic piece where she basically spoke out against T’Challa some more.

Carol then began to chant “this is our home”, and encouraged everyone to join along.

It proved to be too much for some of the spectators. Some of them began to taunt the police officers who were present, and the officers retaliated, consequently, and unintentionally, starting a riot.

The room quickly turned to chaos. “Hey, stop! Everyone, please, this is supposed to be peaceful!” Carol spoke out from the stage, attempting to keep her cool.

Person began wailing on person, stranger vs stranger, using mostly their hands, though the sounds of broken glass did fill the room.

In the center of it all, Steve and Bucky were hastily separated. Steve yelled out his name, but couldn’t find him, until he heard Bucky’s voice screaming out for him. Steve ran to the other side of the room, and removed two other men who were on top of Bucky, punching at him.

One of the officers approached Rhodey and attempted to reprimand him, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. Rhodey resisted, and was hit in the head with a baton, falling to the ground in seconds. Tony quickly bent down to pick him up.

Natasha took matters into her own hands since Tony had been too occupied tending to Rhodey to do anything. She grabbed the baton from the officer’s hands, and went to town on his face.

Valkyrie descended from the balcony and ran to make her way to the stage to get Carol out to safety. She felt handcuffs around her wrists in less than a minute. “Val!” Carol screamed out.

Valkyrie laughed maniacally, and turned to face the officer. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t done that. My name is Valkyrie Parrington, and I could very well take you down in a court of law in a manner of seconds.”

Carol ran down to get her, and went off on the officer, exclaiming that this entire riot was their doing, and begging him to let Valkyrie go.

Steve got Bucky to his feet. There was blood dripping from his nose, but other than that, he was fine.

“Let’s get you out of here, come on”, Steve said, leading the way to the exit. Once they were out, Steve checked in with his nose again.

“It’s fine, Steve. I promise, I’m fine”, Bucky said, chuckling. He laughed to hide the obvious affection in his eyes that he didn’t want Steve to notice.

Natasha managed to keep distracting the officers, leaving Tony enough time to get Rhodey out of the venue as well. Tony ended up carrying Rhodey. Though he gained consciousness right after getting hit, Rhodey was still too out of it to walk properly.

Steve took Bucky to a 24-hour diner a couple of blocks away to at least clean up the dried blood from his face, before the duo made their way to the life café. “I hope everyone makes it out of there in one piece.”

Sam stood at the corner of the room, camera in hand, as he filmed the utter turmoil that was taking place in front of his eyes. Maybe this would get people to see for themselves that the police did not care for their safety. The rich did not care for their safety. T’Challa did not care for their safety.

 

* * *

 

“You know for the record, the purple spreading around your nose makes you look pretty badass”, Steve said to Bucky, jokingly.

“Gee, thanks, Steve. Such a gentleman”, Bucky replied, rolling his eyes.

Steve laughed. It was music to Bucky’s ears. He couldn’t help but flash bucky yet another bright smile.

The two waited outside of the life café for their friends. It was cold.

“Ugh, T’Challa got exactly what he wanted! He screws up my show, he gets all of these people arrested!” Carol screamed out, turning the corner where Steve and Bucky had been waiting for them.

“Babe, the cops can’t hold them for long, they’ll be out by morning”, Valkyrie said assuringly.

Carol ran into Steve’s arm, squeezing him. “Good to see you, bud. I’ve missed you”, she whispered into his ear.

“Back at you”, Steve replied, breaking the hug to quickly introduce Carol to Bucky, and vice versa.

Carol took it upon herself to introduce Valkyrie to Bucky.

The quartet didn’t wait much longer, and were soon joined by Natasha, Tony and Rhodey.

“Oh, there they are!” Steve yelled out.

“Is everybody okay?” Rhodey asked, because of course Rhodey, who had definitely gotten it the worst out of everyone that night, was worrying about everyone else.

“Are you okay? Hon, that hit looked awful, how’s your head?” Bucky said, hugging Rhodey.

Rhodey assured them all that he was fine, and that it could’ve been a lot worse.

More introductions were given, and they all decided to wait for Sam inside.

Sam arrived in the blink of an eye, and was greeted with hugs all around.

“Are you alright, man?” Steve asked worriedly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine!” he said, moving to Carol, to offer up some good news. “Tonight, on the 11:00 news, the lead story is going to be your show.”

Carol was floored. “H-how do you know that?” She said, stumbling over her words.

“They bought my footage of the riot! They’re going to see the whole thing!”

The group cheered happily, congratulating Carol. “Good work, Sam!” Valkyrie offered, smiling. She really should’ve smiled more, it was so beautiful.

Carol couldn’t believe it. She’d been so happy, that she placed her hands onto Sam’s cheeks, and kissed him, in front of everyone.

“How can I repay you?” Carol said to him.

Valkyrie was pissed. “Let the boy buy us dinner”, she said, face as cold as the middle of winter.

Carol placed her hands onto Valkyrie’s hips and attempted to kiss up to make up for the fact that she’d kissed Sam, but Valkyrie was having none of it.

Sam had been so caught up in the moment, he hadn’t even realized Natasha was there, and that she had definitely seen the kiss herself. Sam was frozen. He shot her a smile, but received an awkward look in return. Sam hoped to God she wasn’t mad at him.

The group walked up to the host, who looked displeased to see them.

“No, no, please, not tonight, please leave”, he said.

Sam shot him an offended look. “What the hell’s your problem? What are you talking about? Why?”

“Because you sit here all night and you never order anything!” Who does this Logan man think he is.

“That’s not true! Just last week I had a tea!” Sam argued back.

“You couldn’t pay…” The host counter-attacked.

Sam looked defeated. “Oh, right.” Bucky, Tony, and Natasha all snorted in unison.

Rhodey moved to the front of Sam, and held up a wad of cash. “Well, tonight? We can pay.”

The host looked even more annoyed, if that was even possible. “Look, fine! Just don’t push any tables together!”

As the group walked up to the tables, they all noticed some of their other friends had already been there. “Hey, Kitty! Let’s push these tables together”, Rhodey said.

The host grunted aloud.

Tables all set, Steve, Sam, Bucky, Tony, Rhodey, Natasha, Carol, and Valkyrie all sat down at a table with Kitty, her boyfriend Bobby, and Luke, and Matt, other mutual friends.

Carol spotted someone else they knew in the far-right corner of the room: T’Challa, along with his business associates.

“Well, if you can get back to me by, let’s say early next week, we can break ground, I’m thinking maybe mid-January-”

Carol interrupted T’Challa’s conversation.

“T’Challa T’Chaka Udaku… the enemy of Avenue A.” She’d been pissed, and rightfully so.

“You got a whole lot of nerve showing your face around here after what just happened”, Tony spat out.

T’Challa rose from his seat, and walked over to their table.

“You know what, guys? That was not my fault”, he shot out.

“Go to hell”, Carol barked back.

“How can you even entertain the idea that it ‘wasn’t your fault’? You’re the one who had the cops on standby”, Steve said to him.

T’Challa nodded in agreement. “Yes, but I never wanted things to get out of control.”

“Hey, why did Ororo miss the show?” Sam asked.

“There was a death in the family”, T’Challa responded.

The group was silent before Rhodey spoke up. “Who died?”

T’Challa looked to the floor in sadness. “Our akita.”

Sam and Steve and Tony all shared looks amongst themselves. “Evita?” They asked.

T’Challa nodded, clearly not in the mood to even find out why they’d known the dog’s name.

The three men then looked to Rhodey, who’s eyes grew wide, looking uneasy and a little embarrassed. “Whoops”, Rhodey mouthed to them. They all held back laughter. So apparently, the dog Rhodey technically didn’t kill was T’Challa’s.

T’Challa got right back into why they were having this argument in the first place.

“Look, you can all mock me, and be mad at me all you want, but I’m the one who’s attempting to do some good. Would you guys rather have a clean, peaceful neighborhood, or one where people piss on your stoop every night? You all think the dirtiness of this village is something to celebrate? Please, listen when I say that bohemianism should just be put to rest. It’s over. Deal with it.”

Everyone at the table looked at him in disgust, and disbelief. T’Challa seems to be forgetting that not 12 months ago, he would’ve been sitting in the empty spot beside Steve.

Sam grabbed his glass of water, and raised it. “Everyone, please, join me in a goodbye toast to the bohemian lifestyle that is now supposedly dead just because T’Challa said so.”

The table laughed. Sam was hit with the brightest of ideas. T’Challa kept insisting that bohemianism was dead? They would prove him wrong right there in that café, in front of all of his little elite pals. Sam shared looks with Steve, and Tony, who both seemed to be on the same wavelength.

“He’s wrong, though. Bohemianism is far from dead. So, instead of a goodbye toast, let us raise our glasses in a celebratory toast, to honor everything about our culture, our lifestyles, and our livelihoods, because la vie bohème is far from over.”

Sam got onto the table, and continued his spiel. “To going against the grain, and going mad; To hating our mom’s and dad’s, and of course, to our community.”

The group kept cheering, glasses of beer, and wine, raised. Then, the real fun began. Following Sam’s lead, everyone at the table kept name dropping every little taboo and bohemian thing that they could think of, anything that wouldn’t fit into T’Challa’s new lifestyle because it was too different.

Rhodey and Bucky got up onto the table. “To handcrafted beers made in local breweries; To leather, to dildo’s, and to Maya Angelou.”

Carol and Tony followed suite. “To causing a commotion; To creation, and of course to masturbation.”

Valkyrie and Natasha were quick to add to the toasts. “To compassion; To fashion; To passion. To Sontag, Sondheim, and anything taboo.”

Carol walked right up to T’Challa and held her glass of wine up to his face. “To the stage! To Uta; To Buddha, and to Pablo Neruda.”

Bucky, Tony, and Rhodey joined Carol and danced around T’Challa’s table. “To faggots, lezzie’s, dykes, and cross-dressers, too.”

Steve added from his spot at the table. “To people living with, and not dying from, diseases.”

“To bisexuals, tri-sexuals, carcinogens, hallucinogens, and the women!” Valkyrie shouted.

Sam then gathered everyone back to the table, before returning to the top of the table, and directing the last word to T’Challa. “To marijuana! To sodomy, and S&M, I’m sorry, T’Challa, but this is la vie bohème!”

T’Challa laughed and shook his head in disbelief. His business associates excused themselves from their table, and made their way to the exit.

T’Challa grabbed his coat, and walked right up to Sam and Steve. “You’re going to regret this”, he said before leaving.

The entire table laughed, and booed him.

He was on a power trip. He needed to be put in his place. How dare he continuously harass them all, and tell them time and time again that they’re living a disgusting and unconventional lifestyle.

One by one, they’d all ordered food, and more drinks, of course.

“Remember how fun T used to be?” Tony said aloud.

“Seems like an entire lifetime ago”, Carol replied.

Their meals arrived soon after, and everyone was having a great time.

Underneath the table, Bucky kept attempting to thread his fingers with Steve’s, and squeeze his thigh, but Steve wasn’t having it. And, whenever Bucky would jump into the conversation going on, Steve would find a way to ice him out.

Bucky decided to wait for Steve to finish his last bite of food, before asking him to meet him outside.

“What’s up?” Steve asked none the wiser, though maybe it was an act.

“Did I do something wrong tonight, Steve?” Bucky asked bluntly.

Steve’s eyes grew wide. “What makes you say that?”

Bucky chuckled, though none of it filled with humor. “Well, maybe the fact that you’ve been ignoring me ever since we got here. I mean you invited me, so what gives?”

Steve dropped the act. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m really trying here. I just can’t shake the fact that I let you down by inviting you tonight.”

Bucky shot him a confused look. “Let me down? How do you figure that?”

Tears filled Steve’s eyes, though he was not about to let any fall. “Bucky, I’m broken. I’m unfixable. I like you, a lot, but I don’t want to give you false hope. I even told myself not to talk to you anymore so that I wouldn’t mess with your head. I may have been fine tonight, but I may not wake up as fine tomorrow morning. I’m a mess. I’ve got too much baggage.”

Bucky grabbed at his hands, and held them in his own. “Steve, life’s too short to worry about things like that. I like you a lot, too, and I want you to know that I’d always would be here for you, for both the good times, and the bad.”

Steve pondered the thought of telling Bucky about his HIV again, before the sound of his beeper interrupted. Except, it wasn’t only his beeper.

Bucky pulled a beeper from his belt, and hit the ‘off’ button. “AZT break”, he said, pulling out a pill from his pocket.

Steve looked at him wide eyed, this time, letting a tear escape and run down his cheek. “You mean you...” Steve began, but abandoned his question midway.

Bucky knew what he was going to ask, so he answered. “Yeah.” He then watched Steve push the off button on his own beeper, and asked him the same question. “You too?”

Steve nodded a yes.

The two just stared at each for a good thirty seconds, before snowflakes started falling, distracting them. Steve noticed Bucky shiver, and so he gave Bucky his jacket.

Bucky smiled. It was just as perfect as every other time.

Bucky stared at Steve again, looking up through his long lashes, and closed the distance between us.

Steve was obsessed with Bucky’s mouth. He hadn’t realized he’d missed it so much until he got another taste of it.

The two battled for dominance, before Steve outright gave up, mostly to please Bucky, who he felt smile because of it.

Bucky pulled away to catch his breath, before placing his hands onto Steve’s cheeks.

Steve shuddered. It wasn’t just Bucky’s smile that was perfect. Everything about Bucky was perfect.

The snow kept falling, growing even thicker with time, so Steve grabbed Bucky’s hand, and lead him back inside.

“Look, you should know that I’m a disaster. I wake up around 11am every day, and I almost always take a nap right after I eat lunch. I’m depressed, I’m lazy, I’m broke, but I’m working on it”, Steve blurted out.

Bucky placed a chaste kiss to his lips. “You should know I kept blowing my candle out that night so that I could spend more time with you.”

Steve laughed. “You should know I’d forgotten how to smile until your candle burned my skin.”

Bucky could feel how warm his heart felt from inside his body. “You should know I’m a little in love with you, Steve Rogers. And you don’t have to feel the same way right now. But, you can trust me. I will help you in any and every way that I can.”

Steve reached for his hands. “You should know I’m a little stiff in the love department. But, I will try my damned hardest to be everything you need, Bucky Barnes.”

Bucky smiled, and then pulled Steve in for a deep kiss. It was passionate, aggressive, long, and perfect.

The two heard cheering, and pulled apart to see their friends’ eyes on them, clapping at the view in front of them.


	4. I'll Cover You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Year's Eve. A night where anything is possible. Also some sex happens.

**East Village. New York City. December 31st, 1989. 10:08pm.**

The pit crew club was in full swing. The lights, the bass, the hundreds of bodies moving together in perfect tandem to the beat of the Madonna’s “Express Yourself”.

The gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual communities were the most in attendance that night. There were drag queens. Black, Asian, and Hispanic men and women. All of these people, who were judged, mistreated, and beaten on a day to day basis, were all together under one roof. Happy and safe. There were even some very open minded heterosexual folk in attendance.

It was New Year’s Eve after all, a time to celebrate, a time to set new goals for a brand-new year. Anything was possible on New Year’s Eve. The bar manager even started giving out free shots for the less fortunate because why the hell not?

Steve even bought a drink for one homeless man in particular. He was gay, had a terrible childhood, and came to New York City to fulfill his dream of being a dancer. His dream didn’t come true. Despite being homeless, the man was at least glad to be in the greatest city in the world. 

“That was so nice of you earlier, buying that guy a drink”, Bucky said loudly, inches away from Steve’s face, the two dancing.

“There’s always someone who’s got it worse than you. Remember that, baby”, Steve replied with a smile.

Bucky couldn’t help but get bashful at his boyfriend’s cuteness. He kissed Steve, long and hard.

 _His boyfriend_. Steve and Bucky had been dating since that night at the cafe. Maybe to some of their friends it was a little too soon. But the reality was that they were both on limited time, and neither one of them wanted to spend it dwelling on what was to come.

Things had been going great between them up to that point. Steve was opening up to Bucky more. He was actually quite a softy. And a perfect gentleman. And Bucky? Well he was the happiest he’d ever been.

Right next to them on the dance floor were Tony and Rhodey, Sam and Natasha, and Valkyrie and Carol, all dancing like fools.

Their little family. They’d all formed such a bond in the last couple of weeks. Sure, some members had known each other years, and some only days, but that was irrelevant. You don’t need to know someone for years for them to leave a huge impression on you. They were all important to each other.

Tony ran to the bar and returned with a bottle of champagne, and passed it out among his pals. 

“Best! Night! Ever!” Tony screamed, as Rhodey kissed at his neck.

“Hey Tony, how’d you afford that?” Sam screamed at him. It was hard to hear through the music.

Tony laughed. “That’s for me to know, and you to not worry about.” He then whisked Rhodey off of his neck, and brought him to his lips.

Carol and Valkyrie had been making out off to the side when all of a sudden, Carol, who was in a full latex, catwoman-inspired body suit, jumped for the pole on the stage.

She worked the crowd so hard. She was just a natural performer like that. Jealousy growing rapidly, Valkyrie made to leave. Carol dove off the stage and grabbed at Valkyrie. Carol brought her onto the stage, and kissed her in front of everybody.

Carol received a huge applause before jumping off the stage, grabbing Valkyrie and pushing her up against a wall to attack her mouth some more. Carol was heavy on the PDA that night. The others looked on and cheered.

“I’m so happy for her”, Sam said aloud just as the song was transitioning into the next.

“You’re not at all resentful? I mean I think it’s really good if you’re not, but she did leave you for Valkyrie”, Natasha replied to him.

Sam cringed, then laughed. “I don’t care about that anymore. She seems a lot happier with Val anyways. And besides, you know I got my eye on someone else”, he said flirting.

Natasha chuckled. She kissed him on the cheek, and turned around abruptly to remind Bucky that it was time for him and Rhodey to head backstage.

The pit crew club manager was lucky that New Year’s Eve was a party holiday, because Bucky and Rhodey both had to get up and perform that night. 

“Don’t take your eyes off of me”, Bucky whispered into Steve’s ear seductively while rubbing him over his pants before running off, leaving Steve with a raging hard on.

Sam witnessed the whole thing, and stared directly at Steve, laughing. Steve just flipped him off.

Before the two could further interact, the deejay made an announcement. “Ladies, Gentlemen, and everyone else, please welcome to the stage: Bucky.”

Bucky came out in nothing but gold boots, a gold harness, and a gold thong. He shot Steve the most sensual look he could before getting on with his routine.

The majority of the crowd made their way closer to the stage to cheer Bucky on, including Steve, Sam, Tony, Carol and Valkyrie. Steve couldn’t help but keep his eyes directly on Bucky’s body. The way he moved his body to the music so perfectly was breathtaking. He took multiple opportunities to shake his ass right in Steve’s face. Steve was speechless.

The crowd ate him up, and Bucky lived for it. Right after dancing to three songs, Bucky introduced Rhodey to the stage, who had come out in a gorgeous gold sequined gown, a silver sash, and a beautiful blonde wig.

Rhodey was smart for having done his makeup at home before arriving, considering it usually took him two hours to put his face on.

Rhodey proceeded to get the crowd moving for a while, while Tony watched on in amazement. Tears made their way to his eyes. He couldn’t help himself. Rhodey was the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Steve watched Tony from the corner of his eye and couldn’t help but feel happy for him. The love Tony had for Rhodey was so big, and everyone in the room could sense it.

Rhodey and Bucky returned to the crowd as other performers made their way to the stage and the DJ kept at it.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Bucky whispered into Steve’s ear as he pulled him into an embrace.

Steve laughed. “Babe, can we go talk?”

Bucky wondered what was so important that they had to go up to the roof to talk about, but followed Steve nonetheless.

“So, midnight kiss on the roof? Does that sound like something you want to do?” Bucky asked teasingly.

“Bucky, the only thing I want to do right now is get you out of this tight, gold thong. Because, it’s actually making me crazy. You look so fucking delicious. I know we talked about waiting for... _you know_. But after that show? I don’t think I’m going to be able to wait much longer!”

Bucky burst out laughing. He kissed Steve. “Do I turn you on a little too much?”

“A lot”, Steve responded.

Bucky smiled. “Okay then, let’s get out of here.”

Steve looked at him stunned. “Wait, you’re serious?”

Bucky hugged him. “We decided to wait because it’s what we both wanted. And this? Right now? It’s something we _clearly_ both want. You are single-handedly the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, Steven Grant Rogers. So yes, I’m serious. Take me back to your place.”

Steve thought about it. “What about the midnight kiss on the roof?

“We have 40 minutes, if we leave now, we’ll make it back”, Bucky replied.

Steve smiled, and took Bucky’s hand.

* * *

“Are you having a good time?” Sam whispered to Natasha as he handed her a new drink.

“I am, Wilson. I’ve got to say, your little gang sure knows how to go all out for new year’s. You’re a part of something really great.”

Sam couldn’t help but smile at that. “Steve, Tony, Carol, all of them, they’re all important to me. You’re important to me too, you know. And you’re just as much a part of this group as I am, Nat.” She smiled back at him.

The two carried on with casual conversation before Sam decided to stop being too scared to ask and just go for it. “So, Nat, will you be my new year’s kiss?”

“Sorry buddy, she’s already taken. You could ask Tony”, said Rhodey, before walking off with Natasha, arm around her shoulder. Sam could hear Rhodey and Natasha’s laughs from across the club.

“What’s wrong, man? Did she reject you?” Valkyrie said as she took the stool beside Sam.

“Well, yes, but no”, Sam replied.

Valkyrie looked at him puzzled. “Well then…”

Carol joined the duo at the bar. “Don’t worry, Sammy. If Nat doesn’t kiss you at midnight, Val and I will, isn’t that right, pookie?”

Valkyrie looked at Carol with an unpleasant look on her face. “No, I will not. I don’t know about _you_ , Carol, but _I_ am in a relationship.”

“Hey! In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t flirted with a single person here tonight!” Carol answered angrily.

“I noticed! I’m proud of you, Carol”, Sam added.

Valkyrie shot him a look, before turning her attention to Carol. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just everyone in this joint is staring at you, it’s rather annoying.”

“But _I_ am only staring at _you_ , Val. You in this sexy purple outfit”, Carol flirted.

Valkyrie kissed her. Sam smiled.

“Hey, Wilson, keep staring at us and I’m going to chop your dick off with Rhodey’s six-inch heel”, Valkyrie shot out.

Sam abruptly got up from his stool, and left to go find Tony.

* * *

Steve removed his own jacket as Bucky attacked his mouth.

Steve struggled to get the room key out of his front pocket as the two men moved heatedly down the long hallway of the hotel.

So maybe Steve had planned ahead for this. Sue him.

Flipping burgers for Ornacia, one of the most popular drag queens in the neighborhood, at her little bodega made way more money that he ever thought possible.

Just as Steve worked the key through the slit, Bucky kicked the door open. The room was nothing extraordinarily special, but it was the thought that counted.

There was a little bucket filled with ice that held a bottle of rosé on the twin bed in the center in the room. Bucky was speechless. He couldn’t believe Steve had actually done all of this.

“Why?” Bucky asked astounded.

“Because, Bucky. You are so beyond special to me, and I wanted to prove it to you”, Steve said, cheeks growing red in the process.

Bucky moved the cold bucket to the little desk in the corner of the room beside the television, took Steve’s hand, and lay him down on the bed.

He managed to hold Steve’s attention and gaze, and proceeded to strip, working himself out of his clothes slowly, and seductively.

“Come here, Buck”, Steve said in the middle of shedding his own shirt.

Bucky got on to the bed and straddled Steve’s lap as the two continued to make out.

“You have a condom, right?” Bucky asked.

Steve snorted, though he hadn’t meant to. “I can’t have sex _without_ condoms, Bucky.”

Bucky laughed as Steve’s words had finally registered in his mind. Of course, Steve had a condom. They kind of _had_ to use condoms.

Both fully naked, the two continued to make out until Bucky grew impatient. He kissed down Steve’s chest, torso, and happy trail, until he reached his desired location.

He took Steve into his mouth slowly, and from there, turned into the fierce beast he knew himself to be in bed.

Steve was moaning and groaning within the first twenty seconds, clearly loving it.

“God, Steve, your dick is so big”, Bucky raved enthusiastically.

Steve laughed off Bucky’s comment, though still blushed. Steve blushed a lot around Bucky.

Bucky continued to hollow out his cheeks with Steve’s cock before Steve pulled him off, and took him straight to his mouth. “I’m sorry, but you’re too good at that, and I don’t want to cum yet”, Steve whispered.

Bucky laughed quietly and kissed Steve again. “I want it now, Steve. I’m going to go crazy if we wait any longer.”

Bucky riffled through Steve’s pants on the floor to pull the condom from his pocket and place it in Steve’s hands.

“Okay, baby. I got you”, Steve replied.

Steve positioned them missionary, so that he could eat Bucky out beforehand, and then stare into his eyes as he gave it to him.

Bucky lay right in front of him, staring at him with those gorgeous grey-blue eyes. He looked beautiful with the light of the night hitting him through the window. He looked beautiful every night. "Bucky, your body is so perfect."

Steve spread Bucky’s legs apart and began to work his tongue into him. The sounds Bucky made were both sinful and delicious.

Steve realized he was going to need the packet of lube he brought with him as well, seeing as Bucky was way too tight to take him without it.

Steve bent down to the floor and picked up the lube; He ripped the little packet open, worked some onto his fingers, and stuck them inside of Bucky.

“Steve, fuck, your fingers feel amazing”, Bucky moaned.

“ _You’re_ amazing, Bucky”, Steve replied, kissing at his inner thighs.

Feeling as though Bucky had taken enough prep, Steve ejected his fingers, and moved for the condom. He worked it onto his fully erect cock that was pointing right in Bucky’s direction, and coated himself with lube.

“Are you ready, Buck? This might still hurt a little”, Steve asked.

“Put it in, Stevie”, Bucky said.

Steve kissed him before taking Bucky’s orders and slamming into him.

“Steve, holy fuck, your fucking dick feels so good inside-” Bucky’s string of profanities were replaced with a string of screams and moans.

“Baby, you feel amazing”, Steve said. He then bent down and got right into Bucky’s ear. “I’m gonna cum soon, Bucky.”

Bucky moaned in response and began to stroke himself off in time with Steve’s thrusts.

Bucky screamed Steve’s name just as his hot liquid came shooting out at both men’s chests.

“Come on, Stevie, your turn. Cum for me”, Bucky said, now in a relaxed, lustful haze.

Steve surprisingly lasted another eight minutes before filling up the condom, and moaning directly into Bucky’s ear.

Their eyes met, and they kissed as passionately as either had ever kissed before. It was a perfect moment.

“Five! Four! Three! Two! Happy New Year!” The citizens of New York all chanted in unison from outside.

“We missed our rooftop kiss”, Bucky said, disappointed.

“This moment, right here, feels so much more special than a silly rooftop kiss”, Steve said teasingly. “I love you, James Buchanan Barnes. Thank you for such a perfect night.”

Bucky’s eyes watered as he looked at Steve with nothing but love. “I love you more, Steven Grant Rogers.”

Steve pulled out, dispersed of the condom, and cleaned their chests. He held Bucky in his arms for a couple more minutes before the two decided to return to finish the night off with their friends.

 

* * *

**East Village. New York City. January 1 st, 1990. 1:47am. **

Sam, Tony, Rhodey, Carol, Valkyrie and Natasha were hanging out outside of the pit crew club, joining in on the street celebrations going on.

Sam, like the dork he was, pulled his camera out of his backpack and began to film his friends.

“Tony! New Year’s resolution, go!” Sam shouted at him.

“Have sex with your mother”, Tony joked, resulting in laughter from everyone around, including passerby’s. “No, just kidding. I want to make enough money in the next couple of months to get Rhodey out of his shit box apartment, finally treat this little kitten like the queen he is”, Tony said as he cuddled up to Rhodey. Tony was beyond drunk, but the heartfelt sentiment between the two was still just as adorable as if he’d been sobered up.

“Rhodey?” Sam asked.

“Make it to at least June”, Rhodey teased. The group chuckled somberly, knowing full well that Rhodey was terrified of not having too much time left.

To subtly change the subject, Natasha took a jab at Sam. “Sam, you know the more you shove that camera into our faces, the more inclined we are to call a babysitter to leave you with so we can continue to drink in peace.”

Sam, only a little offended, replied: “Fine, maybe I will just skip you, and we’ll go straight to Carol!”

Carol got up from the stoop and proceeded to do air kicks for the camera. She was really feeling her catwoman suit. “Hyah! Hyah! Pow!” Carol screamed.

“Whoa, easy there, crazy”, Sam joked.

Carol took the camera right out of Sam’s hands, and pointed it right for him.

“Carol, you’re going to break it!” Sam said.

“Yeah, doesn’t feel too good, does it?” Carol teased. “Hey, I heard you got a job offer!”

“No, it’s just that sleazy news show _Buzzline_ wants to set up a meeting.”

Carol leapt up in glee over the news. “We’re going to need an agent! Val, do you think you could work on that?” She asked Valkyrie. Before Valkyrie could answer, Sam spoke.

“Wait, _we_?” Sam asked.

“Yes! Hey, listen, Mister, I am the only reason you got on T.V. in the first place! Oh my god, you know what? We’ll do another protest. And this time, you can shoot the entire thing for the T.V. show!” Carol spewed out in record time.

“No, Carol, I’m sorry. I’m not interested.”

“What?! Why?” Carol asked sadly.

“Because working for a show like _Buzzline_ , it’s completely selling out.”

Carol rolled her eyes, though completely understood Sam’s logic. “Fine, I respect that.”

As Rhodey returned from a couple of storefronts down with a bottle of sparkling cider, Tony passed around cups, regardless of the fact that most of them were already nursing their own drinks.

“Is anyone else not drunk besides me?” Sam asked.

Valkyrie raised a glass to Sam’s words. “I can’t get shitfaced now that I’m a lawyer”, she said laughing.

Carol scoffed. “You could, you just choose not to”, she replied to Val’s words.

The gang laughed. At that point, Steve and Bucky walked up to them hand in hand.

"Well, well, well. Where have you two been?” Valkyrie asked curiously.

Both men stared at each other before each offering a different excuse.

“Smoking”, Bucky said.

“Eating”, Steve said.

“Ew, you were having sex!” Rhodey shouted.

Steve and Bucky both grew ten shades redder as everyone laughed.

Sam grabbed at his camera yet again to ask them both his previous question.

“Hey Bucky, give me your new year’s resolutions!

Bucky smiled to the ground before offering his answer. “I’m giving up my vices, darling. I’m going back to school. I didn’t graduate, and I want that diploma.”

Sam smiled at him. “Very nice, very good. What about you, Steve-o?”

“Finish the song”, Steve replied dryly.

“Yeah, maybe you’ll actually get it done _this_ year”, Sam poked.

Steve kicked Sam in the ass, gaining more laughs from everybody. It really was a perfect night.


	5. Take Me or Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain someone takes a job at Buzzline, and a certain couple get engaged.

**East Village. New York City. January 1 st, 1990. 8:32am. **

The gang walked back to Steve, Sam, and Tony’s apartment the morning of New Year’s Day to get some well-deserved shut eye. They’d been out all night having the time of their lives, and now had to pay the consequences.

“What the fuck is that?” Sam asked out loud as he noticed the black padlock on the entrance of their building. “Steve, check out the door”, he said.

Steve ran up to the door and read the sign plastered on it. “Fucking T’Challa.”

“Alright, hold up, y’all, watch the queen work”, Rhodey said as he took off his earrings and heels and gave them to Tony to hold. “I saw this on T.V., watch.” Rhodey walked to a nearby trash can, emptied its remnants, and walked right for the door.

“Baby, what’re you doing?” Tony asked, sounding so horrendously hungover.

“You’ll see”, Rhodey replied.

“Babe, you’re drunk”, Tony said.

Rhodey laughed. “ _No_ , actually, I’m not.” Rhodey picked up the trash can, and banged it up against the padlock. Within seconds, the lock broke off, gifting them access to the building.

The gang cheered in unison. “That’s my Rhodey!” Tony shouted. He threw his arms around Rhodey and kissed him. Those two couldn’t go more than two minutes without some sort of physical interaction.

They all marched up to the apartment, and slid the doors open to find the place empty. Completely empty. Their couch, their dishes, Steve’s guitar and painting supplies, all of it was just gone. Bucky ran down to check his apartment.

“Damn”, Steve muttered at the emptiness of the room.

Sam moved straight away to check the rooms, returning instantly. “He took all our stuff!”

“Yeah, mine too”, Bucky said, slightly out of breath from running up the stairs.

“What a fucking sweetheart”, Carol shared.

Sam, Steve, and Bucky were all defeated. “So, what do we do?” Sam asked.

“Well technically now that you’re inside, you’re squatters. You can’t be arrested, and T’Challa can’t just throw you out on the street”, Valkyrie said. “That’ll at least give you time to get some money together.”

Steve nodded in understanding. “I guess it’s time to try to sell some artwork”, he replied, looking at Valkyrie, and then to Sam.

Sam looked nervous. He looked right at Carol, who had a devilish smirk on her face. “There’s always _Buzzline_ ”, she said.

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing fully well he really had no other option.

* * *

**Manhattan. New York City. January 3 rd, 1990. 9:49am.**

Sam, Valkyrie, and Carol were all headed to meet with Helen Cho at Buzzline to discuss the deal they offered Sam. Sam begged Valkyrie to go with him, as he’d never signed any type of contract before, and figured he could use her expertise. Carol tagged along, hoping that Buzzline would be excited to see her again, and maybe offer _her_ something.

“Ugh, God, my stomach doesn’t feel right”, Sam said, tugging at his tie. He’d gone to goodwill the day before, as he didn’t own any clothes that were too business-formal. Even in a dress shirt and tie, he still felt as though he was wearing his regular outfit of jeans and t-shirts. Valkyrie was dressed in her pantsuit and trench coat, looking the part. Carol was wearing leather pants, and a jean jacket with a Rolling Stones shirt, because no one was going to tell her what to wear.

“You’ll be fine, Sam, honest”, Valkyrie replied.

“Is what I’m wearing okay? Do I look right?” Sam asked.

“Yes, you look fine, now quit bitching!” Valkyrie replied. “Look, you have nothing to worry about, I will do all the talking, and you will just sit there with a smile on your face.”

The trio turned a corner, and Sam was awestruck at the size of the Buzzline building. “Holy shit!” He said.

“Welcome to corporate America”, Valkyrie replied.

They all walked into the building, getting in the elevator and heading up to the 16th floor, straight for Helen Cho’s office. They approached the receptionist, who was currently on a call.

“We’re here to see Helen Cho”, Valkyrie said. The receptionist nodded, as she hung up the phone, and rang for Ms. Cho’s office.

“Maybe you should wait out here”, Valkyrie said to Carol.

Carol stared at her dumbfoundedly. “…But I’m the face?”

“Look, I know, but we don’t want to come on too strong”, Valkyrie responded.

Carol frowned. “Okay?... Fine. Whatever.”

“She’s ready for you”, the receptionist said. “It’s just down that hall, Room 12, her name’s on the door.”

Sam and Valkyrie approached Room 12, leaving Carol behind.

Valkyrie knocked, and Helen opened the door straight away. “Come on in, welcome, have a seat.”

Valkyrie and Sam took a seat as Helen returned to her chair at the desk. “Sam, we loved your footage. It was sensational. Kudos to you for being out there and fighting the good fight.”

Sam beamed. “Thank you. You know, I’ve also been working on a documentary about the homeless, and people living with AIDS.”

Helen smiled. “That’s perfect. That sounds great fresh, edgy, everything _Buzzline’s_ about.”

Valkyrie smiled, as she shot a quickly glance through the window. She had a great view of Carol, who was sitting at the receptionists’ desk, flirting in full-effect.

“Really?” Sam asked, not buying Helen’s statement. _Buzzline_ had a reputation.

Helen laughed. “Look, we may dip into the tabloid side from time-to-time, guilty as charged, but we are a news show and you have a fresh eye to bring hard-hitting stories to our audience, and that’s what we want.”

Valkyrie had looked away from Carol to hear what Helen had to say, but then looked back over, and noticed the receptionist move a strand of Carol’s hair out of her face.

“So, we get the real programming, and he gets the network exposure, what do you say?” Helen said to them both. “It’s not a bad way to start a career.”

Valkyrie and Sam discussed through nodding mumbling. “We say yes. What about salary?”

“On commission, on an escalating scale. We’ll say start at 3,000$, with a huge advance. You’re not going to get that kind of deal anywhere else”, Helen responded.

Sam smiled at Valkyrie. “We’ll take it”, Valkyrie said to Helen.

* * *

The trio were on their way back to their familiar neighborhood, when Sam groaned for the sixth time in ten minutes.

“Oh, come on, Sam, give it up! Give us a smile!” Valkyrie said.

“I just sold my soul”, Sam replied grimily.

“For 3,000$ a segment! So, celebrate!” Valkyrie responded.

“And you wouldn’t be getting any of it if it wasn’t for my protest!” Carol chimed in.

Valkyrie rolled her eyes. “Does _everything_ have to be about _you_?” Valkyrie was still annoyed at the flirting she witnessed back at Buzzline between Carol and the receptionist.

“Me? _You’re_ the one helping my ex-boyfriend!” Carol shot back.

“He needed a lawyer! I figured the least I could do was help out, since you’re basically the one who got them evicted in the first place!” Valkyrie replied.

Carol scoffed. “You know what, why don’t you two go get a room at the Radisson, pop open some bubbly, and have at each other?” Sam grew more uncomfortable by the second.

“Oh yeah? Invite the girl you were just flirting with, and we’ll make it a party.”

“Oh my god, come on, Pookie! I was just being friendly”, Carol replied, growing irritated. “God, Valkyrie, what do you want? I’ll do anything! You want me to be your slave? You want me to just obey your every wish? Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do it!”

Valkyrie stopped them all in their tracks and stared right into Carol’s eyes. “Commitment.”

“That’s all? Babe, why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Carol said.

“What? I tell you how jealous your flirting makes me all the time!” Valkyrie responded.

“But you’ve never told me to stop. Look, Valkyrie, all you have to do is ask and I’m yours!”

Valkyrie pondered on what to say for a moment. “Will you commit to me, to be with only me, for the rest of our lives?”

Carol smiled and got down on one knee. She took one of the many rings off of her finger and placed it on to Valkyrie’s. “I will. I do.” Valkyrie and Carol kissed, for several minutes.

Sam watched from two-feet away, confused. “What just happened?” The girls laughed.

* * *

**East Village. New York City. January 12 th, 1990. 6:22pm.**

“I don’t think you’ve ever looked sexier than you do in this purple shirt, Stevie”, Bucky whispered into his ear. The gang was all at the Chateau Marmot for Valkyrie and Carol’s engagement party. Valkyrie’s parents paid for the entire evening, 150$ a plate for every single guest. Knowing that they were all about to set foot into a place as expensive as the Marmot, the gang all purchased nicer-looking clothing for the occasion.

Bucky bought a tight black polo shirt; Tony bought a suit, his NYU paychecks finally paying off; Rhodey decided to drag up for the occasion and bought himself a beautiful, pastel-pink jacket; Sam bought a sweater-vest; Natasha bought a little red dress that looked great with her hair, and Steve bought a tight, sexy purple button up shirt, that showed off his biceps tremendously.

Valkyrie and Carol were seated at the front of the room, with their mothers and fathers, both of them looking gorgeous as ever. Valkyrie’s father, Timothy, stood up to make a toast.

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming tonight to honor my beautiful baby girl. We all appreciate it so much. I’d also like to publicly congratulate my daughter on her wonderful choice for a partner, Carol. I hope the wedding is even more fun and more extravagant than tonight. Congratulations to you both”, Timothy said.

His wife, Gladys, stood up and took the microphone out of Timothy’s hands. “My husband and I would also like to welcome Carol’s parents, Marie and Joe Danvers, into our family. Please, everyone, stand, and let’s raise a glass to toast the future of Carol and Valkyrie.”

Everyone in attendance stood, cheered, and toasted to the happy couple. Valkyrie and Carol shared a kiss.

“How crazy is it that they’re getting married?” Tony said to the table where he, Rhodey, Steve, Sam, and Natasha were all sitting.

“I can’t wait for the wedding. I’m going to upstage them both. I’m already planning my outfit for it”, Rhodey shared, resulting in laughs from everyone.

From across the room, Carol and Valkyrie were speaking to Valkyrie’s aunt Laila speak about kids, and marriage, and the future. It all made Carol a little overwhelmed. “Excuse me”, she said, exiting the conversation. Carol walked over to the bar.

“Got anything stronger than champagne?” Carol asked the bartender. Her name tag said Maria.

Maria smiled. “Only champagne and wine, unfortunately.”

Valkyrie was still chatting up her aunt Laila as she noticed Carol and Maria getting too close for comfort. “Sorry, Aunt Laila, I’ll be back in a second.”

“Hi, could you excuse a minute?” Valkyrie said to Maria, pulling Carol away.

“What’s up?” Carol asked Valkyrie.

“What the hell are you doing, Carol?” Valkyrie asked ferociously.

“What? We were just talking!” Carol insisted.

Valkyrie scoffed. “Pfft, yeah, right.”

“Valkyrie, I swear, we were just talking”, Carol said.

“Carol, do not do this today. Please. Not in front of our families at our fucking engagement party.”

Carol laughed “Okay, you know what, Miss Ivy League? I can’t take much more of this, this obsessive, compulsive, control-freak paranoia.”

“Excuse me?” Valkyrie asked, offended.

“I didn’t pierce my nipples because just the mere thought grossed you out. I didn’t even fight you for not wanting to let Natasha and Rhodey take us out last night because _you_ were tired and wanted to go home!” Carol shot out.

“Yeah, because you were flirting with that women in latex at dinner!”

“There will always be women in latex flirting with me! Give me a break!” Carol shouted. It was loud enough that the entire party turned to lay eyes on them.

“Look, every single day, people notice me, boys, girls, it’s not exactly something I can control. Just because they do that, though, and just because I may flirt back, doesn’t mean I don’t love you! It’s just who I am! If you can’t handle that, then that’s on you, because I chose you! God, do you know how many folks would kill to fill your shoes?” Carol said.

“Carol, I hate messy. And that, all of that, it’s messy. I love you more than you will ever know, but if you’re not going to show remorse for any of this, if you’re not going to take any of it back, then that’s it! I want out”, Valkyrie replied.

“Then go”, Carol said. “I’m a flirt, that’s it, it’s simple. If you can’t take me as I am, and if I can’t handle your controlling ways, then this isn’t going to work.”

“I’m gone then”, Valkyrie said, walking away, and out of the building. The entire room fell silent. Carol stormed out in the separate direction moments later. Every single person left in the room had no idea how to react.

Marie Danvers walked over to the gangs table. “Maybe now you two can get back together!” She said to Sam.

“Wow…” Bucky said in disbelief. Steve snorted, as the gang gathered their stuff, and left the venue as well.

* * *

**East Village. New York City. January 12 th, 1990. 9:51pm.**

“I still can’t believe that happened”, Rhodey said, curled up to Tony. The two were snuggling, naked in Rhodey’s bed, having just had sex.

“I know. It’s a damn shame, honestly. Carol’s still not answering her phone”, Tony replied, running a hand up and down Rhodey’s back.

“I feel bad. I love Carol and Valkyrie so much, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel like the whole ordeal was too good to be true. They’re just too very different people, unfortunately”, Rhodey said sadly.

“You got that right. Maybe Carol’s just too free-spirited to be tied down. More power to her, it’s just _that_ specific type of personality doesn’t mix with someone like Valkyrie’s, who’s already looking to settle down”, Tony said.

Rhodey didn’t reply right away. He just continued to enjoy the moment, melting into Tony’s embrace. Then, he shifted and turned around, making eye-to-eye contact with Tony. “You know, I always wanted to settle down. A beautiful house, with a beautiful husband, and some beautiful kids. It was always the dream. And, even though it probably won’t come true, at least I was able to find someone as amazing as you before I bit the dust.”

Tony attempted a smile, though it ultimately turned into a frown. “Don’t say that, baby. You’re going to get that one day. You just got to stay positive”, Tony replied. He leaned over and kissed Tony’s forehead.

Rhodey hummed in agreement. “I love you, Tony Stark. Thank you for loving me and showing me every meaning of the word”. Tony leaned over yet again, this time placing a kiss onto Rhodey’s lips.

Rhodey was the happiest and most relaxed he’d been in days, a nice contrast to how he felt just hours earlier, when he was coughing up blood, and vomiting like crazy. The virus was getting to him, as much as he hadn’t wanted to admit it.

* * *

**East Village. New York City. January 15 th, 1990. 5:32pm.**

The gang, sans Valkyrie or Carol, went back to Steve and Sam’s after a life support meeting and dinner. They were all spent, as it’d been a long day, and were all looking forward to putting together the air mattresses that Sam had purchased them and taking a nap.

Sam slid the door open for them all, when they all noticed the most pleasant of surprises. Their couch, their dishes, their chairs, all of their stuff was back, almost like it’d never left.

“Hey, guys, all our shit’s back!” Sam exclaimed. They were all pretty shocked.

A familiar face walked out of the shadows of the corner of the room. T’Challa.

“T’Challa? What’s going on?” Steve asked.

“I’m here to put an end to this war”, T’Challa replied.

The gang all looked suspicious of his actions. “What exactly changed your mind?” Sam poked.

“Bucky, actually. We hadn’t seen each other in a while, so we had dinner, and talked, and he convinced me to rethink the situation”, T’Challa answered, smiling at Bucky. Steve looked at Bucky, but it wasn’t with a smile. It was with a glare. Bucky had a guilty look on his face, averting Steve’s gaze.

Sam, Tony, and Rhodey all glared at T’Challa. “Look, I regret the unlucky circumstance…” T’Challa began, but Sam cut him off.

“Circumstance? T’Challa, you padlocked our door, and took all of our shit!”

T’Challa huffed out a breath in annoyance. “Yes, well that’s why I’m here, with all of your stuff, and with a new lease, courtesy of _CyberArts._ You might want to get this on film, Sam”, T’Challa said.

Steve and Sam scoffed. “Oh, I see, this is nothing but a photo opportunity, isn’t it?” Sam asked.

“T’Challa Udaku, local hero, helps out struggling friends, full story tonight at 11, only on Buzzline”, Tony said, mockingly.

“It’s not like that, Tony”, T’Challa replied.

Sam reached into his backpack and pulled out a check he’d meant to give T’Challa the next time he saw him. “Look, we don’t need your charity, got it? Here”, Sam said, handing him the piece of paper. “That should cover at least three months’ rent.”

T’Challa was shocked at the amount listed. “Where did you get this kind of money?”

“Work”, Sam said. In that moment, he felt pretty proud of himself.

“Right, well, congratulations”, T’Challa said, before exiting the apartment and building without so much as a goodbye.

Steve walked into his room, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, sulking. Bucky followed soon after, taking the suitcase in the corner and turning it on its’ side so he had a place to sit.

“I thought you just barely knew him. That’s what you said anyways”, Steve spit out.

“Steve, nothing happened with T’Challa. Me and him, we had a thing once, but it was two years ago”, Bucky said, somberly.

“It doesn’t matter”, Steve said, putting on a false front.

“It was before I met you”, Bucky said, putting a hand onto Steve’s thigh.

“I don’t care. It changes things.”

“How?” Bucky asked.

“I can’t trust you. That’s how”, Steve replied, leaving the room and leaving Bucky alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Enjoy this shitty fic. The inspiration came from watching Rent one night, aka one of my favorite movies.
> 
> [This fic deals with topics that might be triggering to some. Please check the additional tags.]


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